Mill would increase temperature of Emajõgi River at wastewater release site
Based on the river’s average flow rate, treated wastewater released into the Suur-Emajõgi River by the planned €1 billion pulp mill to be built outside of Tartu could increase the average temperature of the river water at the release site by approximately 0.3 degrees Celsius.
The further away from the wastewater release site, the smaller in relative the impact of the wastewater would be on the overall average temperature of the river water.
The calculation is based on an assessment by international bioeconomics expert Daniel Paalsson, who is consulting for Est-For Invest.
The water consumption of the mill is to be 0.7 cubic meters per second. As the Suur-Emajõgi River's average flow rate is 63.3 cubic meters per second, the mill's water consumption would equal 1.3 percent of the river's average flow.
The mill would in turn release 1.2 percent of the average flow in treated wastewater back into the river.
The treated wastewater would contain naturally occurring compounds originating from the wood and lime used to bleach the wood pulp in the production process, including chloride, potassium, carbon, calcium and sulfate ions.
Est-For Invest board member Aadu Polli stressed the need for in-depth research which can only be carried out by independent parties.
"Precise impact assessments on both air and water quality will be revealed in the process of the state's special plan," Polli said in a press release. "Substantive activities of the state's special plan are expected to begin in mid-February."
Editor: Aili Vahtla
