Successful remediation at paint factory

When the land around a paint factory in Vedevåg needed to be remediated, paint and surface treatment company Teknos turned to Sortera. Over 100 years of paint manufacturing had left high levels of solvents in the ground. Thanks to an active client and ongoing dialogue, a major source of pollution in the natural environment around the paint factory has now been removed.

Teknos, founded in 1948 and one of Finland’s largest family-owned companies, operates in over 20 countries. The company has had a paint factory in Vedevåg outside Örebro since 2012, but paint production at the site started as early as 1902, then as part of Wedevågs Bruks AB. Over 100 years of paint production and high levels of solvents in the soil required Teknos to carry out extensive remediation before a sale of the factory was possible.

Larger volumes and higher levels of contaminants

The project began in the spring of 2023 and was completed in August of the same year. Teknos had carried out a major soil investigation with extensive sampling prior to the start of the project and a de-establishment plan had been submitted to the County Administrative Board.

“We encountered challenges early on in the project,” says Jonathan Pettersson, responsible for quality, health and safety and regulatory affairs at Teknos. “We thought that 1,700 tonnes of non-hazardous waste would be removed, but it turned out to be more than that.”

In addition to involving more material than had been calculated, the soil also contained higher levels of contaminants than expected.

“The more we dug, the more pollution we found," says Jonathan Ståhl, project manager at Sortera. “During the excavation, a concrete tank filled with pollutants was discovered.”

Winter weather affected the project

The increased volumes created challenges for schedule, costs and collaboration.

“For us at Teknos who do not normally work with remediation, it was a shock to see how the project grew, along with the costs. We had many in-depth discussions with Sortera, especially around the costs,” says Pettersson.

In addition to the increased costs and the delay in the schedule, there was another factor: the weather. During the project from November and throughout the winter, it was around zero degrees and as cold as minus 20.

“And when it wasn’t below freezing, it rained, which created problems with leaching and waterlogged soil. When the temperature dropped again, the ground froze, which wasn't optimal for excavating soil,” says Pettersson.

How do you move forward in a project with so many setbacks? Both Jonathan Pettersson at Teknos and Jonathan Ståhl at Sortera believe that it has been through dialogue and agile decision making.

“I worked on site, which allowed us to make quick decisions,” says Pettersson.

“Teknos has been committed and involved in the project from the start, which has meant that together we have been able to solve many issues along the way,” says Ståhl.

The dialogue with the County Administrative Board in Örebro County has also been important.

“They have been understanding of the challenges we have faced in the project and have supported us during the process,” says Ståhl.

Great importance for the local environment

The remediation brought an important environmental benefit to the area.

“By removing a significant source of pollution, the natural environment around the site and the nearby watercourse can begin to recover,” says Pettersson at Teknos. “We took responsibility for our site and delivered on the action plan we had for the project.”

Sortera’s principle is always to manage as much as material as possible in a circular manner, but in this case, large quantities were required to go to landfill.

"Sometimes, as an actor, we have to remove pollutants completely from the resource cycle," explains Ståhl. “All material was sampled and classified on site to minimise the amount of material that has to be landfilled.”

Lessons learned from the project 

The project has now been completed, and both Teknos and Sortera have learned from important insights on the project. Here are some tips for future remediation projects:

To consider as a customer

• Conduct a thorough investigation before starting a project. Samples are important but cannot predict everything.
• Divide the procurement into stages for a better cost overview.
• Avoid, if possible, conducting remediation projects during the winter.
• Maintain an open dialogue with the supplier and continuously monitor the project’s finances.

To consider as a supplier

• Create consensus on the process before starting the project.
• Work with structured routines, regardless of the scope of the project.
• Involve the client in the forecasting work to manage uncertainties.
• Ensure clear and recurring communication – internally, with the client and with the regulatory authorities.

Turnkey contractor with full responsibility

Sortera was responsible for the entire remediation contract in Vedevåg, including project management, work management, work environment responsibility, measurement and sampling. Water treatment was handled with support from Sortera’s company Envytech, and dry suction was carried out by Sortera Industry.