Public meeting on the EIA program was held on September 7, 2023
The purpose of Flexens' project is to construct hydrogen and ammonia production plants and an ammonia storage area in the large industrial area of Kokkola. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) program describes the project, estimates emissions, presents the current state of the area, and outlines methods for assessing environmental impacts through the EIA procedure.
A public event on the assessment report was held on 7.9.2023, at Matkustajakoti Ykspihlaja, located in the Ykspihlaja residential area near the large industrial area of Kokkola. The meeting was opened by a representative from the ELY Centre (Jutta Lillberg-Puskala), followed by presentations from Flexens (Jim Häggblom and Håkan Jonsson) and the environmental consulting company Envineer (Toni Uusimäki and Sanna Suvanto), detailing the project's goals and impacts on the local community. Also present as an expert, invited by Flexens specifically regarding gas-related topics, was Kalevi Korjala from Saveon Oy, the former CEO of the gas company Woikoski.
The event gathered dozens of local residents and project stakeholders who wanted to learn more about the project and share their views on its future. "The discussion at the meeting was lively and diverse. We are grateful to everyone who participated and shared their thoughts with us. Active community participation is of utmost importance to us, and we are happy to discuss environmental impacts and the benefits of the project for the local economy and development," said project manager Jim Häggblom from Flexens. After the presentations, an open discussion session followed.
Discussion and Comments
Audience Question: What causes the warming of the sea area due to the project?
Envineer: The project discharges cooling water that is not utilized in the district heating network into the sea, warming the seawater in the nearby area. The amount of heat discharged into the sea depends on the demand for district heating.
Korjala: In electrolysis, the cooling water is not in direct contact with the process water in the closed loop.
Audience Question: Can the cooling water be cooled before being discharged into the sea?
Envineer: The cooling water, which has a maximum temperature of about 50-60 degrees, cools somewhat in the pipeline before being discharged into the sea. Additionally, as much as possible is utilized in the district heating network. During the summer (outside the heating season), the need is smaller, and the amount discharged into the sea is greater.
Audience Question: Is there enough waste heat to cover the entire city's district heating needs?
Flexens: We don't have exact information yet, but the amount of usable heat will be clarified as planning progresses and will be revisited during the EIA report phase.
Audience Question: Are the ammonia tanks dangerous? Is there a risk of explosion?
Korjala: Ammonia is stored as a liquid at around -33 degrees Celsius. In this form, it does not pose an explosion or ignition risk. In the event of a tank leak, ammonia vaporizes and can ignite if there is a spark source. However, it is not self-igniting.
Envineer: Safety considerations will be assessed as part of the EIA process and more specifically in connection with the chemical permit to be applied from TUKES.
Flexens: As a fuel, ammonia requires a small amount of another fuel (diesel, gasoline) to ignite. Therefore, liquefied ammonia is not flammable by itself.
Audience Question: Are there any sensitive points in the process that could be prone to accidents?
Korjala: Hydrogen is flammable when it is pure gas; otherwise, it is not. If hydrogen were to leak uncontrollably, the resulting cloud could ignite if it were in an enclosed space, such as indoors. Outdoors, lightweight hydrogen rises upward, and the concentration required for ignition cannot form. Additionally, an external spark would be needed for ignition. Oxygen promotes combustion strongly, while nitrogen is a suffocating gas. The factory's indoor spaces have sensors for the rapid detection of harmful gas concentrations.
Audience Question: How much does seawater need to warm up to have harmful effects on, for example, marine life?
Envineer: Modeling and impact assessment specifically examine this aspect.
A direct answer cannot be given at this point, but based on the impact assessment, we can say whether Flexens' thermal load would have harmful effects on biota, fisheries, or water quality. Initially, the mixing conditions in the deep-water channel are good, but modeling will provide more information on this.
ELY: The effects of thermal load are one of the most important impacts of this project, and it is necessary to focus on investigating them during the report phase.
Audience Question: Are there any potential odor nuisances from the project?
Korjala: Hydrogen, nitrogen, oxygen, and argon are odorless gases. Ammonia has a strong odor, which can cause odor nuisance in exceptional situations. In normal operation, ammonia is in a closed system and does not cause continuous odor nuisance.
Envineer: Air emissions will be modeled, and it is also possible to model emissions from exceptional situations for ammonia.
The assessment program is available on the ympäristö.fi -website and can be commented on by submitting written opinions and statements by 1.9.2023.
More information: https://www.ymparisto.fi/fi/osallistu-ja-vaikuta/ymparistovaikutusten-arviointi/flexens-oy-ab-ammoniakin-tuotantolaitos-kokkola