Vattenfall has donated essential personal protective equipment and food supplies for hospitals and key workers in the UK and Sweden.
Around 400,000 face masks have been distributed in Sweden from the company’s stockpiles, built up after the bird flu pandemic, while a chemical laboratory has switched its focus to manufacturing hand sanitiser.
At Ormonde offshore wind farm in Barrow in Furness, UK, the Swedish power company says it has distributed food packages and stockpiled personal protective equipment to local hospitals and key workers.
Ormonde offshore wind farm operations and maintenance manager Paul Thomson said: “We wanted to do what we could to help during these unprecedented times.
“Many doctors, nurses and key workers are working extra-long hours to save lives and keep society functioning, meaning they are unable to get to the shops before they close. When they eventually do get to a shop they find the shelves are already empty.”
He added: “In addition to this, we have donated personal protective equipment from our own supplies to keep our local health care providers and key workers safe as they fight to save lives. I would like to thank my team for supporting this initiative during these uncertain times.”
In Sweden, the Red Cross supported the distribution of face masks to the health care regions most in need, said Vattenfall.
Vattenfall Services maintenance manager Kristian Karn said: “The face masks were purchased a couple years ago after the outbreak of the avian flu and have since been stored in our stockpiles here in Norrkoping, eastern Sweden.
“The immense amount of discussion surrounding the scarcity of medical supplies led us to feel the face masks would be put to better use elsewhere. Thus, my manager contacted the authorities to inquire about whether they were interested.”
At Ringhals nuclear power plant in south-west Sweden, 5000 sheets of transparent film were found and donated to the hospital in Varberg. The sheets will be used to manufacture face mask visors for hospital staff.
Ringhals has donated 60 packages of hand sanitiser to local care units, with the power plant’s chemical laboratory now manufacturing the product, which is also being used by staff at the power station.
“We are using denatured ethanol, which is diluted to 70%, as well as a little glycerine, to act as a moisturising agent, and a few drops of dish soap. It’s that simple,” said Ringhals 1 and 2 chemistry group manager Rikard Hellstrom.