FMV
Swedish Defence Materiel Administration
SE-115 88 Stockholm
Visiting address: Banérgatan 62
Tel +46 8-782 40 00
Fax +46 8-667 57 99
registrator@fmv.se
www.fmv.se
Environmental consideration in the lifecycle
FMV’s environmental report 2008-2009
Contents
FMV’s environmental work
Director General Comment
3
FMV in brief
4
Co-operation for development 5
Environmental work at FMV
6
Good examples
Environmental requirement product groups 8
Field hospital procurement 10
Fuel cells with great potential 12
Pioneers in biofuel for jets
14
Surplus equipment finds a new use 16
Flight test methodology 18
New environmental permit 19
Public sector framework agreement for furniture
20
REACH, supplier monitoring 22
Development of social requirements 23
”
Director General
Comment
The report on FMV’s environmental work that you are now
looking at has its focus on the environmental adjustment of the
products and systems that we supply to our customers, principally the Swedish Armed Forces. This is no coincidence since
FMV’s environmental impact arises throughout the materiel’s
life cycle. This work is multi-faceted and covers everything from
participation in the preparation of research plans and working
on the specification of requirements for our suppliers to paying
attention to environmental aspects when disposing of obsolete
or surplus materiel.
Environmental consideration through all phases of the life cycle
from research to disposal does, however, mean embracing environmental requirements in a broader context. The environmental adjustment has to be weighed against what is technically possible and financially reasonable if the Armed Forces are to be
provided with effective and well-adapted products and systems.
We continually strive to improve the environmental performance in the development of new items of defence equipment. We
pursue this work in many different ways, for example through
dialogue with our major suppliers and through close cooperation with the Swedish Armed Forces and other authorities
in the defence sector. This enables us to specify challenging
requirements in our acquisition processes, which in turn drives
the continuing development of more environmentally adapted
defence equipment.
Gunnar Holmgren
Director General
FMV’s Director General Gunnar Holmgren.
About this report
Every two years FMV publishes an environmental
report which provides an overview of our work on
environmental issues. This report opens with a general description of our current activities including our
environmental work. The second part describes, for
example, a number of exciting environmentally related
projects in which FMV has been involved over the period 2008-2009.
We would be pleased to hear from you if you have any
comments or questions. The dialogue with you helps
us ensure that we constantly refine our environmental
work and our communication on environmental questions.
Contact details:
The lighthouse on Söderarm has a long history and has in the past
been important to the defence of Sweden. For example, it was the
lookout on Söderarm who raised the alarm when the Russians invaded
Sweden/Roslagen in 1719.
FMV’s
environmental
report
2008-2009 page 2
1
Suspendisse
ultricies
lacinia
Phone +46 8-782 40 00
Email hallbarhet@fmv.se
Suspendisse
ultricies lacinia
FMV’s environmental
report 2008-2009
page 32
EDA
(European Defence Agency)
The EU body for improved capabilities regarding crisis management and support to the European Security and Defence Policy
NORDAC
(Nordic Armaments Co-operation)
Nordic defence materiel co-operation between
Denmark, Finland, Norway and Sweden
FMV in brief
FMV (Swedish Defence Materiel Administration) is an independent civil authority whose primary task is to provide the
Swedish Armed Forces with materiel, systems and methods
that will be effective not only today but also in the future.
We employ a permanent staff of about 1,500 and each year
we deal with the procurement of materiel and services to the
value of around SEK 16 billion. Our customers also include
other Swedish authorities such as the Swedish Police, the
Swedish Coast Guard and the Swedish Civil Contingencies
Agency. In addition we represent the Swedish government in
complex international business negotiations. We carry out our
activities in several places in Sweden, but project control and
management is mainly located in Stockholm. In order to ensure that materiel meets the specified requirements, we make
use of our test facilities and trials sites.
Vidsel
The Vidsel Missile Test Range is used for both national and
international test activities.
Linköping
In Linköping, the home of Swedish aviation, we carry out
flight testing of a wide range of combat control and other
aircraft systems. Therefore, the dynamic flight simulator is
located here.
FMV’s environmental report 2008-2009 page 4
(Letter of Intent) Six-nation co-operation between the six major defence industry nations
within the EU (France, Germany, Italy, Spain,
Sweden and the United Kingdom) to facilitate
restructuring of the defence industry in Europe
THE DEFENCE
SECTOR
The Swedish Armed Forces, FMV, the Swedish
Defence Research Agency, the Swedish National
Defence College, the National Defence Radio
Establishment and the Swedish Fortifications
Agency
Co-operation for
development
Co-operation plays an important part in FMV’s work to develop its own activities, to disseminate knowledge and to harmonise the way of working between FMV and other actors
on matters of central importance.
Research co-operation
Active international co-operation
Vidsel
Karlsborg
At the Karlsborg proving ground we test weapons and
munitions, ballistic protection and vehicles, as well as the
environmental tolerance of a range of products. There are
also facilities here for the testing of air defence and anti-ship
missile systems.
Lol
Karlsborg
Stockholm
Linköping
The so-called Six-Nation Co-operation is a declaration of
intent for the purpose of facilitating the rationalisation, restructuring and operation of the European defence industry.
This includes cooperation on research and development and
harmonising the military requirements for defence materiel.
Following a Swedish initiative (FMV/FOI), an environmental
group was set up in 2004 to cover co-operation within the area
of “Research and Technology Development”. The group has,
for example, compiled a database of current military environmental research projects. Another example of work done is
assembly and presentation of documentation to influence the
European Defence Agency (EDA) to take active responsibility for materiel-related environmental questions, for example
through harmonised requirements for chemical substances and
construction materials. This is especially important considering
that the new European Community Regulation on chemicals,
REACH, may affect the possibilities for obtaining certain chemical products that are important for defence purposes.
In order to facilitate development work in areas that are
important to the Swedish Armed Forces, FMV engages in
research co-operation with universities, university colleges and
industry. Examples of collaborative environmental projects are
described on Pages 10-13.
Dialogue with our neighbours
FMV’s trials activities are dependent on good relations with
the local communities, businesses and other parties with
interests in the vicinity of the testing facilities. This provides
an incentive to work constantly to reduce the environmental
impact, principally noise, of our testing and trials activities.
FMV attends a forum, together with local community and
other representatives, to hear how local residents and other
interested parties view our activities. This dialog forms an essential part of our process of continuing development.
FMV’s environmental report 2008-2009 page 5
FMV’s environmental policy
The defence sector works to achieve sustainable development in which
environmental consideration is an integral part of all activities, both nationally and internationally. Environmental requirements shall, as far as possible, also be placed on actors who work with, or on assignments from,
authorities in the defence sector.
FMV takes its social responsibilities within the environmental field through
an active and long-term environmental work.
We therefore undertake to:
• Identify, evaluate and meet the environmental requirements placed on us.
• Supply our customers with products and services that are environmentally adapted.
• Conduct our activities on the basis of continuous improvement in a way that balances our social responsibilities towards the environment with economy and technology.
• Maintain a high level of competence regarding environmental aspects of the materiel we procure.
• Continuously improve the environmental performance of our testing and trials activities.
• Communicate openly and clearly about our environmental work.
• Create conditions under which our personnel can take active responsibility for environmental matters.
• Minimise the environmental impact of official journeys.
Environmental work at
FMV
The Government’s ambition is that the government authorities should be role models of
environmental performance. FMV works with this approach and strives to achieve continuous improvement, for example by promoting ‘green’ procurement.
FMV’s greatest environmental impact
FMV’s primary task is to provide the Swedish Armed Forces
with a range of materiel and systems. It is through the use of
this materiel that the Swedish Armed Forces activities have the
greatest impact on the environment. FMV therefore has a key
role to play in ensuring that procurement, which amounts to
about SEK 16 billion annually, is as environmentally adjusted
as possible. Specifying relevant environmental requirements
for suppliers and products is thus the most important part of
FMV’s work to reduce its impact on the environment. Another
aspect of this work is making sure that we minimise as far as
possible the environmental impact of activities at our testing
and trials facilities. You can find more about the methods we
use on Pages 18-19.
has become a natural part of our day-to-day activities which
are largely project oriented. It is, however, a considerable task
to keep these various processes updated. Today the extent to
which these processes are used varies somewhat from project
to project, depending on the magnitude of the project and
the decision of the project manager. In order to place even
stronger emphasis on the environmental work, it is therefore essential to ensure that key parts of these processes are
applied in a consistent manner. Another central part of an effective environmental work concerns co-operation with other
actors. Examples of the various forms this co-operation takes
are described later in this report in connection with the various
projects highlighted. Some important examples are also summarised on Page 5.
Method of working
Organisation
Within FMV, environmental matters are the responsibility of
everyone in the organisation. By integrating consideration for
the environment with existing processes, the environment
Environmental work has long been firmly anchored as an ​
essential part of FMV’s activities. In 1997 FMV was appointed
to be one of 25 pilot authorities for environmental
FMV’s environmental report 2008-2009 page 6
management in the public sector. An environmental unit was
then set up by FMV’s management and today in our Head Office we have a team of six working full time on environmental
matters. Out at the testing and trials facilities we have one fulltime and two half-time environmental coordinators.
FMV’s own suppliers and contractors. Other natural examples
of our internal environmental measures are waste sorting and
the procurement of green electricity.
Important challenges
The range of products and systems that FMV procures is very
extensive and covers everything from shirt buttons to advanced technical systems. It is a constant challenge to specify relevant environmental requirements across such a diverse range.
It therefore makes things easier if the environmental perspective is taken into account as early as possible in all projects.
At FMV there is the potential for further improvement in this
respect. According to Anette Svensson and Bengt Strömstedt
of FMV’s environmental group, it still happens, unfortunately,
that integration of the environmental aspects takes place at a
late stage in some projects. At the same time they emphasise
that the continuous implementation of small steps does in
time have a major effect. The important thing is to keep trying
and to persevere.
Internal environmental work
FMV’s beneficial impact on the environment is mainly through
its work to bring about ‘green’ procurement of defence
materiel. However a good deal of effort is also being put
into reducing the direct environmental impact of FMV’s own
activities. This has the effect of sending out important signals,
both internally and externally. For example, FMV has travel
guidelines which say that journeys of less than 500 km shall
be by train. Environmental requirements are also placed on
FMV’s environmental group in Stockholm (from left: Bengt Strömstedt, Lena Engberg, Birgit Ramfjord, Malena Brorsson, Ingela Bolin
Holmberg, Anette Svensson).
FMV’s environmental report 2008-2009 page 7
Environmental
requirement for various
product groups
The coordinating agreement between FMV and the Swedish Armed Forces states that environmental requirements shall be included in all contracts for the procurement of defence
materiel. FMV has developed general environmental requirements for this purpose. Since
FMV procures a very wide range of products, the development of requirements adapted
for use with specific product groups started in autumn 2009.
These adapted requirements are a development making it possible to focus on specific environmental aspects applicable to
particular product areas. Initially the product groups vehicles,
munitions, electronics and batteries were selected. Included in
this initial work were environmental and market analyses for
each group and the relevant legislation and standards were also
identified, explains Ingela Bolin-Holmberg who is working on
method development for this project. The work has been carried out in consultation with those responsible on the product
side, usually the chief engineers. This leads to a greater degree
of participation in the environmental work, she believes. Brief
results from two such cases are described below. The next
stage will be to carry out further work focusing in detail on the
requirement so that it can be evaluated and refined. Our ambition is to begin to apply these requirements in the course of
2010 and to be able to develop the way of working for further
product groups, says Ingela Bolin-Holmberg.
formance. Lead-free ammunition for small calibre weapons has
though been available for at least a decade. A large quantity of
ammunition has to be available at short notice but a significant
proportion of this remains unused before its ‘best before’ date.
It is therefore of central importance that materials used in ammunition should be recyclable. It is thus seen as an important
requirement that suppliers must provide a recycling manual for
the materials concerned, explains Per Cederberg. A recycling
manual increases the probability that time expired ammunition
can be dismantled correctly so that as much as possible of the
materials concerned can be recycled.
– Ingela Bolin-Holmberg, Product Manager, Environment
and Fuels
Vehicles
Exhaust emissions represent by far the greatest environmental impact caused by vehicles. In order, therefore, to mitigate
this effect as much as possible, the requirements produced
by FMV have focused on this area, explains Jonas Persson
who, as Chief Engineer for land vehicles, was involved in the
production of environmental requirements for the vehicle
product area. In order to facilitate further the setting of these
requirements, FMV has three representative classes of vehicles; light vehicles, heavy vehicles and military vehicles/vehicles
adapted for military use. For the first two classes well-established emissions regulations and standards already exist to draw
on, Jonas Persson reminds us. FMV has identified the parts
of these that can appropriately be included as requirements in
the procurement of vehicles in the respective classes. Another
example is the requirement that tyres shall be free from polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH).
Munitions
In the procurement of munitions there are a number of relevant environmental aspects to be taken into account, says Per
Cederberg, Chief Engineer for land weapon systems at FMV,
who has taken part in the production of environmental requirements for this product area. Propellent combustion gases
from rocket motors and emissions from pyrotechnics often
lead to problems of work environment and local environmental effects. A potentially significant impact on the environment
associated with munitions is the large amount of metal left on
the firing ranges. In order to prevent an unnecessary impact
on the environment, FMV has identified a material declaration
as a relevant requirement to place on the suppliers, emphasises Per Cederberg. The material declaration must include,
for example, a statement of whether the materiel contains any
substances listed in the so called Candidate list in REACH (see
Page 10) or is defined as a hazardous substance in the defence
sector criteria document (see Page 22).
There are, however, many dispensations granted for the use
of hazardous materials in munitions referring to function, performance and safety. One such example relates to lead which
is often used in the fuzes of large calibre ammunition in the
absence of any substitute giving equivalent function and per-
”
Our ambition is to develop the way of
working for further product groups.
Ingela Bolin-Holmberg has collaborated with Chief Engineers Per
Cederberg (left) and Jonas Persson (right) in producing environmental requirements for their respective product groups, munitions and
vehicles.
FMV’s environmental report 2008-2009 page 8
Military vehicles/vehicles adapted for military use are covered
by a number of dispensations with regard to requirements
for function and performance. For example the engines used
in military vehicles often have a low classification in terms of
EU norms. This is to enable the vehicle to be used as flexibly
as possible, for example when deployed on missions abroad.
Also identified as procurement requirements appropriate for
all three classes are a materials declaration, the possibility for
material recovery and a requirement that tenderers must have a
systematic approach to environmental work.
One aim of FMV’s analysis is that the environmental requirements should be capable of acting as guidance for other
authorities when procuring vehicles, says Jonas Persson. The
more purchasers that set similar requirements, the greater the
effect and the greater the possibility to achieve a positive environmental development.
In order to produce the maximum mitigation of environmental
impact, the requirements produced by FMV for vehicles have focused
on exhaust emissions.
FMV’s environmental report 2008-2009 page 9
Field hospital
procurement
”
FMV procures medical equipment for the Swedish Armed Forces for use in a range of exercises and on actual missions both nationally and internationally. The latest project has
been directed towards the acquisition of field hospital equipment. For this procurement
project FMV has, for example, specified that the suppliers must provide comprehensive
environmental information about both their way of working and their products.
The equipment in a field hospital needs to manage special
conditions. For example it has to be transportable and to be
capable of being unpacked and repacked a number of times.
The field hospital also has to be capable of supplying its own
needs, to be modular and to be able to operate in different
climatic conditions. The requirements specified by FMV are
therefore largely related to functional aspects. In addition
FMV also specifies environmental requirements. The Swedish
Armed Forces have a fundamental rule that environmental
requirements should be specified in all procurement contracts.
This is also set out in the coordinating agreement between
FMV and the Swedish Armed Forces.
Example of a field hospital.
Information requirements
– an important aspect
An important aspect of the environmental requirement for
the procurement of a field hospital is that the contractor
should provide information about working methods and
products. For example the contractor should show a plan for
the environmental work, and make clear who is responsible for
environmental matters on the contractor’s behalf. Further, the
contractor must provide information about chemical substances in the equipment. This requirement also applies to the
products required once the equipment is in use. The startingpoint is that FMV, to the greatest possible extent wants to
avoid products which contain chemical substances listed in the
defence sector’s criteria document. This includes substances
such as cadmium, lead and mercury. The position taken by the
defence sector is that all materiel supplied to authorities in the
The contractor appreciates
FMV’s environmental
requirements.
defence sector should, as far as possible, be free from toxic,
carcinogenic, allergenic or mutagenic substances and any substances which are toxic for reproduction or which could affect
climate change or the ozone layer.
There is, however, an exemption procedure for those instances where there is no functionally equivalent alternative to the
listed substance. If an exemption is to be granted, it must first
be established that the substance in question is compatible
with existing legislation. The next stage involves carrying out a
risk analysis for the substance in the intended application. Because such an exemption has to be actively approved, this creates participation and awareness of any possible environmental
problems, explains Anna-Karin Persson, project manager for
the field hospital procurement. Furthermore, the risk analysis
can provide useful data for the future development of the
materiel since the existing risks are clearly documented. In the
case of the field hospital procurement, none of the constituent products was rejected on the grounds of the substances
contained. The contractor is also requested to provide information as to whether the product meets the Energy Star rating
for energy efficiency, to describe the extent to which materials
could be recovered for recycling and to provide a manual on
how to dispose of the equipment in an environmentally correct way.
Information leads to increased awareness
and preparedness
An important use for the detailed information that FMV
receives about the equipment it procures is that all concerned
are well prepared in the event of a change in legislation or if
the materiel comes up for disposal. It is then a big advantage
to know exactly what the various products contain. The fact
that the contractor has to provide detailed information on the
environmental impact of the products concerned also stimulates awareness of environmental considerations on the part
of the contractor. However, the environmental requirements
must not be too detailed. It is essential to be reasonable with
regard to the amount of time the contractor needs to spend in
preparing his tender, says Anna-Karin Persson.
Close co-operation with the contractor
FMV has used one contractor for all equipment for the field
hospital. This contractor has in turn used a large number of
subcontractors and is responsible for ensuring that these sub-
FMV’s environmental report 2008-2009 page 10
– Anna-Karin Persson, Project Manager for
the field hospital procurement
contractors also pay due regard to environmental aspects. Having a single contractor simplifies dialogue and requirements
concerning environmental aspects, Anna-Karin Persson points
out. Co-operation has worked very well and the contractor has
even appreciated FMV’s environmental requirements, since
they have proved to be useful for their own work in other contexts, she adds. Through dialogue with the contractor it has,
in some cases, proved possible to obtain products with better
environmental properties, such as cadmium-free batteries.
Packaging the materiel
The Swedish Armed Forces have not yet started to use field
hospitals to the full extent. FMV is therefore awaiting feedback
on how they function in the field and whether, for example,
there is too little or too much of any particular piece of equipment. One of the next stages will also be to review the way in
which the products can be packaged in order to minimise the
transport requirements and hence the environmental impact.
One challenge is then to ensure that equipment is packed in
the correct order, with the correct ancillary equipment, so that
unpacking can be accomplished quickly and smoothly.
An important part of the environmental requirement for procurement of the field hospital is that the supplier produces documentation about his way of working and about the environmental impact
of the products themselves, says Anna-Karin Persson, Project Manager for the field hospital procurement.
FMV’s environmental report 2008-2009 page 11
Fuel cells with great
potential
The rapid development of technically advanced military equipment increases the need for
highly efficient and reliable energy supplies. The expectation is that fuel cells will be able
to provide a future solution. The Swedish Armed Forces and FMV are therefore investing
in research in this area.
Fuel cells have great potential as energy sources in military
applications. They are light in weight relative to the energy
they provide. Fuel cells are also closed systems with low operating and maintenance costs when compared, for example,
with a diesel generator. Fuel cells also possess environmental
advantages such as their high efficiency and the fact that they
produce no carbon dioxide or nitric oxide emissions. Since the
technology is still very new and under development, fuel cells
are not yet in use for defence applications.
Research budget of SEK 40 million
In order to gain knowledge in this field of development, the
Swedish Armed Forces and FMV have been engaged over a
period of seven years on a project to study critical technologies and to test fuel cells in applications corresponding to the
needs of the Armed Forces, such as battery replacements for
soldiers’ equipment, different types of auxiliary generators
and battery chargers. A significant amount of research and
development work is required and it has been important to
co-operate with external partners including industry, universities and colleges. The total investment by the Swedish Armed
Forces and FMV has so far amounted to SEK 40 million. The
results of all three phases of the project are due to be published in autumn 2010. By then it is hoped that it will be possible
to answer such questions as: Is fuel cell technology mature
enough for military applications? If so, what do we need for
the next stage?
can arise in the field, for example high and low temperatures,
sand, snow and rain. Another challenge that Erik Prisell cites
is the close supervision of the fuel cell manufacturing process
that is needed from start to finish. It is important to include
the whole life cycle when estimating the final environmental
balance, he emphasises. In an eventual continuation of the
project the focus will be on establishing new bilateral and multilateral co-operation in order to develop the system further
on a higher technical level and to identify systems that are
suitable for batch manufacture. If fuel cells are to come down
in price, high volume manufacture is essential. Today there are
not many companies capable of building integrated fuel cell
systems, which in turn means that those systems which are
available on the market are piece produced and therefore not
competitively pric
Erik Prisell, who is a strategic specialist responsible for the
technical coordination of the project, hopes that within two
to five years there will be battery replacements for personal
equipment, such as radios, communications equipment and
GPS, probably fuelled by methanol. He also believes that
larger systems running on standard kerosene jet fuel may be
available in about five years.
Several of the applications being tested within the framework
of this project also have the potential for corresponding civil
applications, so-called “dual use”. There is thus a good potential that the project can lead to spin-off products that will
benefit the wider community.
Future challenges
Two particular challenges are to bring down the cost of such
systems and to make them more robust. The diesel generators
in use today are significantly more tolerant of conditions that
FMV’s environmental report 2008-2009 page 12
How fuel cells work
“There is a good potential
that the project can lead
to spin-off products that
will benefit the wider community.”
– Erik Prisell, strategic specialist responsible for the technical coordination
of the fuel cell project
When fuel cells are run on hydrogen they provide highly efficient conversion into electrical power with no moving parts
and no emissions other than water. The principle on which
fuel cells work involves an electrochemical process in which
hydrogen is fed to an anode and oxygen to a cathode. Electricity and heat are produced via a membrane and the waste
product is water. The oxygen can conveniently be extracted
directly from the air. By increasing the area of anode and
cathode the current can be increased, and by connecting
several cells in series the output voltage can be increased to the
desired level.
Until a solution is found to the problem of hydrogen storage,
and until the infrastructure necessary to be able to handle
hydrogen as a fuel is developed, traditional liquid fuels (diesel,
petrol, aviation fuel, methanol, ethanol etc.) have to be used to
drive fuel cells. The problem here is that fuel cells are unable
to handle other fuels without being destroyed. One way of
overcoming this is to develop the chemical process of “reformation” in which catalysts (“reformers”) are used to extract
hydrogen from the traditional fuel to drive the fuel cell. This
is a complex task which needs a great deal of research and
development.
Fuel cells can provide highly efficient conversion of hydrogen into
electrical power without any emissions other than water.
FMV’s environmental report 2008-2009 page 13
Efficient extraction process
The expectation is that it will be possible to extract the biofuel for combat aircraft from domestic wood
waste. With the Swedish biofuels process it is possible to use a great deal of the wood waste after the wood
and pulp industries have taken what they need. This makes the process cost-effective and environmentally
adapted. Wood is also a renewable raw material which gives no net emission of carbon dioxide. At the same
time it is important to study the life cycle of the biofuel in order to be able to reach a final judgement on its
overall usefulness. The process, however, is not dependent on wood in particular since, in theory, it can use
any bio-material.
Pioneers in biofuel
for jets
FMV is making preparations for a collaborative project with the US Air Force to develop
and test a bio aviation fuel for combat aircraft. The project is one of the first in the world in
this field and has strong potential as a future alternative fuel as well as a means of reducing the environmental impact of military flights.
The project began when the United States Ambassador in
Sweden, Michael Woods, was searching for innovative solutions that could be of interest to American risk capital and to
the US military. He then found the Swedish company Swedish
Biofuels AB which had won a contract with DARPA for its
unique process for the production of a wholly bio-based and
carbon dioxide-free jet fuel. DARPA (Defence Advanced
Research Projects Agency) is the United States Department of
Defense’s research organisation.
The project is now in the start-up phase and is run by the US
and Swedish Air Forces in collaboration with Swedish Biofuels
and the aircraft industry (Saab, Volvo Aero, General Electric).
Erik Prisell, Project Manager for the work at FMV, says that
2010 will be a planning year with the conduct of the trial itself
due to take place over the three following years.
Broad collaboration
In summer 2008, Ambassador Woods called on the Swedish
Defence Minister with a proposal to establish bilateral collaboration to carry out a demonstration using a bio-based
jet fuel, developed using the method in question, in a JAS 39
Gripen aircraft. FMV was then given the task by the Swedish
government to examine the possibilities for such a project.
FMV’s environmental report 2008-2009 page 14
Aim and challenges
The aim of the project is to show that a combat aircraft can
be flown using biofuel, and hence to demonstrate that a biobased jet fuel is possible for future use. In the civil aviation
field there have been a number of biofuel demonstrations in
recent years but these have been very limited in extent. One
of the major challenges has been to achieve production on a
sufficient scale and to get the fuel certified for use in a combat
aircraft. A large part of the work involved is testing the properties of the biofuel and its possible effects on engines and
aircraft systems. For example the seals used in aircraft engines
and fuel systems can react with certain fuels which in turn can
lead to deposits and leaks. An engine stoppage in a combat
aircraft can have very serious consequences so the safety
aspects are, of course, the absolute priority, stress Erik Prisell.
Otherwise he is very optimistic about the project and he sees
no obvious reasons why it should not succeed. Success in this
project would also assist the development of biofuels for civil
aircraft and other transport applications.
“The projects has great
potential for reducing the
environmental impact of
military flights”
– Erik Prisell, Project Manager for
biofuel for jet engines
FMV’s environmental report 2008-2009 page 15
Surplus equipment finds
a new use
FMV act for the Swedish Armed Forces in the sale of surplus materiel. An important part
of this work is to ensure that materiel which could have a serious environmental impact
does not come onto the market.
The perceived threat to Sweden has changed over recent
decades. This has led to the replacement of the old invasion
defence organisation by new mission-based forces. In 1999
the Supreme Commander issued a restructuring order for the
disposal of defence materiel which was no longer required.
This included, for example, field equipment, vehicles, tents,
tool sets and various items of kit. The equipment is primarily
donated to voluntary organisations, humanitarian agencies,
public sector bodies, local rescue and emergency services, universities and colleges. FMV has the task of selling the remaining materiel, a task which started in the year 2000 and which
will be continuing for the foreseeable future. Sales are always
conducted on a commercial basis. Among the pieces of equipment to be disposed of there may be items that are harmful
to the environment. Examples include asbestos in old naval
vessels, PCBs in electrical transformers and mercury in some
field equipment. The Swedish Armed Forces environmental
policy document states that possible environmental impact
must be a consideration when disposing of surplus materiel.
The defence sector environmental objectives 2007-2011 state
that, when goods are sold, consideration for the environment
must be taken into account to ensure that no goods which
could constitute a hazard, either to health or the environment
or in any other way, are released onto the market.
Guidelines and other considerations
FMV and the Swedish Armed Forces have common guidelines
regarding which kinds of diesel and petrol driven vehicles can
be sold. The same applies to machines with 2-stroke engines,
for example portable generators and lawnmowers. Military materiel is, in principle, never sold on the open market. It may be
sold to other countries or back to the original manufactures on
a buy-back basis. Other surplus military items may be destroyed by breaking up, melting down or in some other suitable
way depending on the actual materials concerned. For other
materiel it may, on a case by case basis, be necessary to analyse
whether it is suitable for sale. This is a question of interpreting
the environmental legislation and consider what is suitable
from a goodwill perspective, says Rolf Moberg , Sales Manager
at FMV. Since FMV has sold, and otherwise disposed of, many
large batches of surplus materiel in recent years, these considerations are becoming natural, he feels. In some cases, however,
there may be a lack of documentation which means that we
have to visit the storage sites to check the items for ourselves.
If there is the least doubt regarding the possible effect of the
materiel on the environment, it is destroyed rather than sold.
Occasionally there are difficult judgements to be made, says
Rolf Moberg. It might be a question of vessels with asbestos
insulation but which are otherwise in excellent condition, in
which case the asbestos is bound by an injection process, fully
documented and indicated by warning notices affixed in accordance with the Swedish Maritime Administration’s regulations.
FMV itself has no financial reasons for choosing destruction
rather than sale. The materiel is the property of the Swedish
people and some might think it is wrong to destroy a vessel
which is entirely usable according to both EU and Swedish
legislation, while others might take quite a different view,
emphasises Rolf Moberg. It is a delicate balance and one that
requires FMV to make a thorough analysis and a careful judgement from case to case. FMV never sells direct to consumers
but always to wholesalers. A significant proportion goes for
export. In making a sale, FMV makes sure that the buyer can
take charge of the materiel in an environmentally acceptable
way. For example, where a wholesaler is purchasing vehicles,
we will ensure that the ground on site is suitably drained. All
sales are documented in a database which shows what has
been sold and to whom.
New business methods
The greater part of the bulk items, i.e. vehicles and palleted
equipment, has now been disposed of. FMV has therefore developed new business methods in which large parts of the sales have been delegated to an agent, while FMV will continue
to do the screening of items that should not be sold because
of environmental considerations. However, the agent, by virtue of his own knowledge, functions as an extra filter and may
come up with comments or questions about the equipment
concerned. In the procurement of an agent, the environmental aspect is always among the evaluation criteria. Tenderer’s
must include in their bids their environmental impact and an
environmental plan which contains a description of how the
tenderer’s systematic environmental work will be applied to the
agency task.
FMV’s environmental report 2008-2009 page 16
View of a sales lot with vehicles at Bråvalla airfield, Norrköping.
Disposals during 2005-2009:
• 133,100 pallets of supplies
• 8,530 vehicles
• 62 vessels
The great majority were disposed of
through FMV sales.
A sales lot with Cycle 104 loaded onto a cycle trailer.
Total income from sales amounted to
SEK 392 million.
FMV’s environmental report 2008-2009 page 17
Flight test methodology
In order to ensure that different types of military equipment satisfy the requirements for
function and effect, FMV conducts testing activities at various testing and trials sites in
Sweden. The trials are always conducted on assignment from a customer, that is to say
the Swedish Armed Forces or the defence industry, and they are carried out by FMV’s
Test and Evaluation (T&E) Directorate.
Noise – the greatest impact on the
environment
Testing can affect the environment to varying degrees, for
example in the form of resource consumption and as a result
of different forms of emission. The greatest impact on the
environment is, however, that caused by noise generated
when testing. For FMV it is important to reduce the noise
levels in order to maintain good relations in the locality and
avoid disturbing those who live nearby. Over the last two
years, FMV has established a new method of working where
aircraft testing is concerned. Essentially this entails integrating
environmental aspects more closely with the regular process
of evaluation. Before a flight test, the analysis process covers
not only the conduct of the testing, the costs involved and the
safety aspects, but also the possible ways in which the testing
will have an impact on the environment.
FMV has evaluated the environmental study procedure through a subsequent review of randomly selected trials. This
analysis showed that all the environmental judgements and
assessments had been made correctly.
It will be a challenge for the future to establish the appropriate
way of working at the other testing and trials facilities, that
is to say for the testing of missile systems, land systems and
naval systems. Changing established routines is always a challenge, emphasises Bo Nilsson.
New environmental
permit
Thorough environmental analysis
The test engineer who is responsible for the testing carries out
an environmental impact assessment on a three-point scale:
low, substantial or high. If the test engineer’s initial assessment
is that the environmental impact is ‘low’, there is no need
to proceed with a more detailed study. If the assessment is
‘tangible’ or ‘high’, a thorough examination of environmental
consequences of the testing is carried out in conjunction with
other interested parties. The aim is to identify jointly how valid
trial results can be achieved with the least possible environmental impact. The analysis and the agreed starting conditions are
documented precisely in the testing programme. To date there
have only been a couple of occasions on which the environmental impact has been judged to be in the category ‘high’. In
these cases the testing has been referred to T&E’s management for information and approval.
FMV is applying for a new environmental permit for the trials activities in Karlsborg. The
application is framed in such a way that the new permit will give FMV an incentive to
reduce the environmental impact of its trials activities.
Increased involvement
Bo Nilsson, the initiator of this new procedure, emphasises
that the new method of working has led to a broader involvement of the organisation in environmental aspects of testing
since, in the past, FMV’s environmental representative was
solely responsible for the assessment of environmental impact.
In addition, the level of knowledge and understanding of this
particular activity has been raised.
Since a systematic way of working was already in place and
forming an important part of the culture at the test site, it was
relatively easy to couple in the environmental aspect, believes
Bo Nilsson. He also says that the response from the test site
personnel has been very positive.
FMV’s environmental report 2008-2009 page 18
”The new way of working
has led to a broader
involvement in
environmental aspects
of testing.”
”
– Bo Nilsson, Environmental Manager
T&E
The environmental permit for the Karlsborg trials facility
focuses on artillery and explosives testing, and aircraft and
missile trials, that is to say a small number of quite substantial
trials. In response to the changing threat picture, FMV now
needs to test other types of weapons which involve firing
larger numbers of rounds. In the past, trials at the Karlsborg
proving ground have entailed firing about 7000 rounds annually, but this number will not be sufficient to allow for the
testing of automatic weapon systems that will make up an
increasing proportion of the trials activity.
Incentive to reduce environmental impact
It is the larger trials that have the greatest environmental impact because of the noise they generate. In its application for
a new environmental permit, FMV classifies trials into three
classes depending on the noise levels. In the two highest classes the number of rounds fired or explosive charges detonated
will be limited. In the lowest class, which includes hand weapons, the application proposes no limit. These trials with small
calibre weapons can be conducted without being heard outside
the proving ground, provided that certain precautions are
taken. A limit on the number of large calibre firings/ explosive
detonations giving high noise levels provides an incentive for
FMV to ensure that, for each trial, such noise is kept to an absolute minimum in order to avoid exceeding the agreed quotas.
This provides additional motivation to reduce the environmental impact of each trial. Today the current permit quotes only
a maximum limit with no weighting regarding the noise levels
of the 7000 firings.
Advanced self-monitoring
FMV’s new application is formulated in a totally new way
compared with the current permit. For the permit to be granted, it is important that the County Administrative Board has
confidence in FMV’s way of working. This calls for a high degree of responsibility and advanced self-monitoring on FMV’s
part. FMV will be working more systematically with each trial.
This will involve an initial assessment together with thorough
evaluation and documentation of the trial parameters including noise levels and weather conditions. It is FMV’s hope that
a decision on the new permit will be made during 2010.
FMV’s environmental report 2008-2009 page 19
Public sector framework
agreement for furniture
Requirements have helped
to move the industry in the
right direction.
For many years FMV has been recognised as a large and highly competent purchaser
of furniture, having a long tradition of procuring furniture for the Swedish Armed Forces.
Today FMV is responsible for concluding framework agreements relating to furniture for
all government authorities. Environmental considerations feature as one of the areas to be
evaluated in the procurement contracts.
The public sector framework agreement for furniture is divided into ten framework agreement areas covering everything
from office furniture, desks, filing cabinets and safes to textile
rugs and carpeting. Every fourth year there is a new procurement round in which FMV specifies the mandatory technical
requirements and the environmental requirements. FMV
evaluates the products offered according the criteria for price,
design, function and environmental aspects. The environmental aspects are given a 10% weighting in the overall assessment.
Requirements and criteria at the right level
FMV’s mandatory requirements in the environmental area are
based on the requirements of existing legislation while the
evaluation criteria cover various techniques for lacquering,
gluing, and treatment of metal surfaces. The fourth evaluation
criterion concerns wood from rain forest and virgin forest
areas verified by certification by the Forest Stewardship Council. FMV requires documentation from the suppliers, such
as Safety Data Sheets and other product information, to be
submitted as part of the documentation required for evaluation of the tender.
The inclusion of environmental requirements began in
the mid-90s. At that time FMV was among the first of the
public sector procurement agencies to include environmental
requirements in national framework agreements. Since then,
requirements and evaluation criteria have been gradually developed and they are updated prior to each new procurement.
They must be possible for a supplier to live up to in accordance with the proportionality principle in the Swedish public
procurement legislation. They must also be measurable and
non-discriminatory. It is therefore a constant balancing act and
a challenge to find requirements and evaluation criteria at just
the right level, says Anna Söderholm, Project Manager for the
public sector framework agreement for furniture.
Prior to each procurement, FMV carries out preliminary
studies and invites authorities and suppliers to respond to a
questionnaire in order to identify relevant requirements and
criteria.
Quality stamp which helps to develop
business
– Anna Söderholm, Project Manager for
the public sector framework agreement
business, it provides confirmation that the supplier has achieved a certain standard in a number of important areas. It
serves as a quality sign which the suppliers are happy to refer
to in other connections.
for furniture
Anna Söderholm makes the point that the requirements in
the agreement have helped to move the industry in the right
direction where environmental aspects are concerned. Among
the suppliers the level of awareness of a number of important
environmental questions has been raised. This has been confirmed in a report published by the Swedish Environmental
Protection Agency in April 2009. For example, FMV’s requirements and criteria have led to a reduction in the environmental
impact of hexavalent chromium and aromatic solvents. They
have also influenced the development of furniture products in
the direction of sustainable forestry and more environmentally
acceptable products.
”
FMV is working on a number of information initiatives aimed
at raising the level of awareness among the suppliers. In 2008,
for example, a seminar was held on the topic of the requirements contained in the EU’s new chemical legislation REACH.
FMV will also be conducting an environmental audit and
requesting confirmation that suppliers under the framework
agreement are updated with regard to the latest REACH
regulations.
Continuing to raise our ambition
It is FMV’s ambition that environmental aspects should be
assigned greater weight in the evaluation process. In order to
achieve this, the evaluation criteria must be developed and
extended, itself a challenge that requires careful and detailed background work. FMV’s point of departure is to have
evaluation criteria which are judged to lead to a clear reduction
in environmental impact. In order to keep up to date with
the development, Anna Söderholm participates, for example,
in the Swedish National Financial Management Authority’s
environmental network and in the Swedish Environmental
Management Council’s working groups which are working on
updating the environmental criteria for public procurement.
The area is a complex one and dialogue with such external
bodies is vitally important.
The public sector framework agreement for furniture is important for many suppliers. Besides leading directly to
FMV’s environmental report 2008-2009 page 20
Easy chair covered with tender invitation documents for the supply
of furniture under the national framework agreement for furniture.
It was used at the design seminars that FMV arranged for the Year of
Design 2005.
FMV’s environmental report 2008-2009 page 21
REACH, supplier
monitoring
Development of social
requirements
The EU’s new chemicals legislation, REACH, has meant that the responsibility for the
possible environmental and health risks associated with chemical substances has been
transferred from the authorities to those who manufacture or import chemicals. The introduction of REACH is a long-term process which began in 2008 and will continue over the
next ten years.
Since early in the year 2000, FMV has widened the scope of
During 2008 FMV had a close look at the supply segment in
order to ensure that the suppliers were living up to the new
regulations. This was done in the form of a questionnaire
containing questions concerning, for example, the advance notification of substances and whether the supplier had assessed
the effect that REACH could have on the products that were
sold to FMV. The suppliers were also contacted in the form
of an information letter in order to ensure that FMV would
not risk encountering supply problems due to REACH. The
conclusion reached was that no suppliers foresaw problems in
complying with the provisions of REACH.
The REACH regulation contains a so-called Candidate List,
that is to say a list of ‘substances of very high concern’ because of their toxicity or other properties and which might either
be prohibited or be permitted only for specific applications.
This list is a living document which is continuously updated. It
contains information which is highly important to FMV since
it gives an indication of whether a particular substance used
for defence purposes might be prohibited. In such an event,
a substitute would need to be sought in good time as a matter
of urgency.
its work in the field of sustainability to include the setting of
social requirements in certain procurement projects, for example in relation to the area of clothing. These requirements
stem from the ILO’s core conventions. FMV is thus one of
the first public sector authorities to set social requirements.
The intention is that this work should be developed to cover
a number of product groups. Since February 2010 FMV has
adopted a policy for the inclusion of social requirements in
procurement contracts, and since 2008 FMV has also set animal protection and welfare requirements based on European
Council Conventions. These relate, for example, to tolerable
living conditions, transportation, slaughter etc.
For three years now, FMV has been participating in the Swedish working group for the development of the new standard
for social responsibility, ISO 26000, which is expected to be
completed during autumn 2010. FMV contributes from the
perspective of a public sector authority while at the same time
gaining valuable inspiration in the context of a sustainable
society.
Work on the specification of social requirements is still relatively limited in extent but FMV sees considerable value in
continuing to develop methodology in this area.
What did you think of our report?
In our environmental report for 2008-2009 we have given you glimpses of
the extensive environmental work which FMV conducts. If you have any
questions or comments, we should be very pleased to hear from you. You
views will help us to keep on improving our way of working and how we
communicate on matters affecting the environment.
FMV’s environmental coordinator Birgit Ramfjord chairs the Defence
Sector Chemistry Group.
Co-operation on REACH
FMV participates in the Defence Sector Chemistry Group
which is chaired by Birgit Ramfjord, FMV’s environmental
coordinator. Among subjects of discussion in the Chemistry
Group is what REACH will mean for authorities in the defence
sector. One example is that certain chemical substances used
for defence purposes are manufactured for such a limited market that there is a risk that producers might discontinue production since the cost of registration required by REACH would
make this financially prohibitive. This would mean that certain
substances would have to be phased out. In that eventuality it
would be important to ensure that the substances are not replaced by others which are worse from an environmental perspective, emphasises Birgit Ramfjord.
FMV’s environmental report 2008-2009 page 22
Military exemptions
The REACH regulations contain a provision
which allows EU member states to grant national exemptions for those chemicals that are
needed by the defence sector in the course of its
activities. Such an exemption, however, applies
only in the country granting the exemption,
something that can lead to problems in international ventures such as joint exercises or in
multinational defence equipment projects.
Through FMV, Sweden has been working on
finding a solution to this problem by advocating
the adoption for unified rules and a coordinated methodology for the granting of these
exemptions. FMV has produced documentation
on this topic and has represented Sweden in
meetings with the European Defence Agency
(EDA) to discuss potential solutions. Environmental coordinator Bengt Strömstedt, who has
been FMV’s representative in these discussions,
believes, however, that this is a complex question
that will require a considerable amount of work
before a solution can be achieved.
Print
Knappen, Karlstad 2010
Contact information:
Phone: +46 8-782 40 00
Email: hallbarhet@fmv.se
Production
Goodpoint text and Cox Stockholm design
Photo
Cover
Page 3
Page 4-5
Page 6-7
Page 7
Page 8
Page 9
Vehicle:
Page 10
Page 11
Eva Strandholm - Försvarets bildbyrå
DG: Jerry Lindbergh
Flowers: Ann Ek
Flowers: Photodisc
FMVs Environmental Group: Stefan Centerlind
Ingela Bolin Holmberg, Per Cederberg, Jonas Persson: Anette Svensson
Nature image: Photodisc
Arne Gustavsson
Field hospital: Lars Munkeby
Flowers: Photodisc
Anna-Karin Persson: Anette Svensson
Page 13
Flowers: Photodisc
Page 14-15 Forest: Photodisc
Page 15
Erik Prisell: Private photo
Page 17
Bråvalla: Swedish Armed Forces
Bicycles:
Arne Gustavsson
Page 18
Bo Nilsson: Pia Ericsson
Page 19
Helicopter: Pia Ericsson
Page 21
Anna Söderholm: Hans Ivansson
Easy chair: FMV
Flowers: Photodisc
Page 22
Birgit Ramfjord: Anette Svensson
FMV’s environmental report 2008-2009 page 23