Energy Consumption

The data for 2005 onwards includes SEED light sites. Sulzer has improved its energy efficiency considerably in the last five years. Energy consumption per employee declined by around 10%, and by 40% in relation to the value added. The stagnation in 2008 is attributable to the fact that the energy consumption of site transport activities was measured for the first time, which represented about 1.5% of the total energy consumption of Sulzer. As shown under "environmental performance", the improvement would be about 3% without the inclusion of these transport activities.

Energy Sources Mix

The data for 2005 onwards includes SEED light sites. As in previous years, the consumption of electricity, natural gas and district heating makes up about 95% of total energy consumption. Compared with the previous year, consumption of electricity decreased by 2% and district heating by 1%, while consumption of natural gas increased by 1% and fuels by 2%. The differences are due to changes in production conditions, and in the case of fuels to the new measurement of energy consumption related to site transport activities.

Greenhouse Gases (CO₂ Equivalents)

The data from 2005 onwards includes SEED light sites. CO₂ equivalents were calculated and are based on the consumption of fossil fuels, with natural gas being the main source of CO_2. CO₂ emissions from production processes are also included but are negligible. As this was the first time data on the energy consumption of site transport activities was included, both the absolute and relative emissions increased in 2008.

Photosmog (Ethylene Equivalents)

The data for 2005 onwards includes SEED light sites. VOC emissions are caused by chemicals used mainly for cleaning surfaces. The emissions are therefore directly linked to the production mix and can change considerably from one year to the next. Specific emissions varied in the last five years within a range of about 6 to 7 kg per employee.

Ozone Depleting (FCKW-11 Equivalents)

These emissions are caused by chemicals used mainly for cleaning surfaces. Use of these chemicals has been greatly reduced in the last five years as a result of process optimizations. Today the remaining emissions amount to less than 10 kg per year.

Acidification Potential (SOx Equivalents)

The data for 2005 onwards includes SEED light sites. SOx emissions are caused by the use of fossil fuels. The absolute and relative emissions increased in 2008 because the energy consumption for site transport activities was included in measurements for the first time.

Water Consumption

The data for 2005 onwards includes SEED light sites. The majority of the increase in water consumption in 2005 can be attributed to a leak at one site. Water consumption has been continually reduced since 2005, and in 2008 alone it was reduced by more than 20% (per employee and net value added). About 50% of the water used comes from surface water, and about 25% each from the mains and from ground water. 70% of the water is used for cooling purposes.

Waste

The volumes of waste per employee and net value added were continually reduced in the last five years in line with targets, with the exception of the increase in 2006, which was due to construction work at one site. The types of waste, in particular municipal waste and recycling, vary greatly from one year to the next due to changes in the production mix.

Land Use

The data for 2005 onwards includes SEED light sites. All the sites together occupied about 1.64 million m² of land in 2008, about 37% of which was sealed. The average area occupied by a site was approximately 26,500 m². This figure was lower in 2008 by around 5% due to the inclusion of smaller sites in the data.

Relevance of Selected Costs

The data for 2005 onwards includes SEED light sites. The graph shows the significance of external costs associated with acidification, ozone depletion, photosmog and the greenhouse effect and compares them with the costs of energy, water and waste. At about CHF 36 million, energy costs are by far the most significant cost pool for Sulzer in the area of environment. Revenue from recycling waste, which outweighs waste costs, dropped to CHF 6.6 million in 2008 after peaking in 2007. Total external costs were low and amounted to about CHF 0.6 million. Around two thirds of these costs resulted from the use of fossil fuels. The calculation of external costs is based on the following cost rates: greenhouse effect: CHF 10 per t CO₂ equivalent; photosmog: CHF 3 000 per t ethylene equivalent; ozone depletion: CHF 20 000 per t FCKW-11 equivalent; acidification: CHF 5 000 per t SO₂ equivalent.

Extrapolation to Sulzer Corporation

In 2008, around 1 700 employees were not included in the collection of sustainability data, the majority of which are in support functions like sales and finance. The total consumption of Sulzer (core business) was estimated using average consumption figures from service functions (energy: 30 GJ per employee per year; water: 15 m³ per employee per year; waste: 0.3 t per employee per year). The extrapolation results in a 6% increase in energy consumption, a 1% increase in water consumption and a 1% increase in waste production. As expected, the support functions therefore have little impact on the environmental performance of Sulzer.