The Riihimäki-based company signed an agreement Friday with the United Nations body the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons to help dispose o f the hazardous waste resulting from destruction of Syria’s chemical arsenal.
Ekokem will work with the American company Veolia to dispose of the industrial chemicals and sludge resulting from the operation.
“Ekokem will not dispose of the chemical weapons, but will handle the waste resulting from their destruction,” said company chief executive Timo Piekkari.
Waste to be treated in southern Finland
Hazardous waste brought to Finland will be treated at Ekokem's Riihimäki treatment centre in southern Finland.
“It will be treated in a high temperature incinerator, where the chemical compounds will be broken down,” Piekkari explained.
Ekokem handles thousands of tonnes of environmental waste every year. Piekkari said that Ekokem first got word of the opportunity through its international project monitoring programme.
“What’s most interesting is that we can be involved in an international project that will reduce chemical weapons in the world and we were very much interested from the perspective of working for a good cause,” he expanded.
According to the chief executive the parties to the agreement still have to decide on the amount of waste to be handled and the final price. Ekokem was one of 14 companies from around the world to bid for the project.
The OPCW has reserved some 40 million euros for destruction of the chemical arsenal, which includes 500 tonnes of industrial chemicals and about one million litres of hazardous waste.
