The IPPC directive and technique qualification at offshore oil and gas installations

The Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC 2008/1/EC) directive emphasises the use of a permit system to protect the environment as a whole from unwanted emissions in the specified industrial activities. The directive advocates the implementation of Best Available Techniques (BAT). Today, it is essential to select appropriate techniques, especially when an operating company is functioning in an environmentally sensitive area. On these grounds, companies encounter challenges to fulfill the IPPC guidelines as well as to qualify techniques for a specific purpose. The situation is challenging when applying new techniques or in the case of where a technique is considered new. However, technique qualification provides the evidence that BATs function within specific limits for an intended use whilst delivering an acceptable level of confidence. This paper explains how the concept of the Best Qualified Techniques (BQTs) is implemented using BAT approach. It also discusses a framework for broadening the BAT concept to include BQTs, drawing upon case studies of the offshore oil and gas industry.     

Adapting the European approach of Best Available Techniques: case studies from Chile and China

Best Available Techniques (BAT) are an essential element in European environmental legislation as required by the Directive on Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC 96/61/EG). The technology transfer to industrialising countries, however, requires the adaptation of the underlying criteria, due to differences in economic, legal and technical conditions. Additionally, their prevailing technology standards and different priorities concerning the affected environmental media (air, soil, water) must also be considered. At hand of case studies for VOC emission reduction and prevention for coating applications in Chile, China and Germany, the use of a metric for country-specific determination of BAT is proposed.     

欧盟工业废水污染物排放限值的制定方法

依据欧盟委员会的IPPC指令和水框架指令，欧盟成员国目前在制定废水污染物排放限值时，都以最佳可得技术（BAT）为参考，同时运用反演的方法将污染物排放限值与环境质量标准相结合。阐述了欧盟国家制定废水污染物排放限值的“BAT法”和“质量标准反演法”，并举例分析了“质量标准反演法”。提出了我国借鉴欧盟方法的几点建议。     

Smart regulation for water innovation – the case of decentralized rainwater technology

“Lead-markets”, “environmental innovations”, and “low-carbon technologies” are some of the modern buzz-words surrounding environmental regulation. But how can governments set the stage for industrial innovation, new and improved products, and the implementation of new, cleaner processes, products and services? The article explores this question with reference to sustainable water technologies, specifically the purchase of decentralized rainwater facilities. It is more ecologically sustainable to process rainwater locally than expanding drainage into the centralized system. However, the market for decentralized water technologies is still a niche one compared to centralized infrastructure. The article therefore evaluates regulative instruments in “smart” support of decentralized technologies.     

Integrated pollution prevention and control in large industrial installations on the basis of best available techniques – The Sevilla Process

With respect to emissions from industry, the IPPC Directive is one of the key instruments of the environmental legislation of the European Union. The purpose of this Directive is to achieve integrated pollution prevention and control from large industrial installations. The conditions of required permits have to be based on Best Available Techniques (BAT). In 1997, the so-called Sevilla Process was established to develop these BAT. Since then, 33 Best Available Techniques REFerence Documents (BREFs) were drafted, adopted and published. This Sevilla Process with its actors is described. The BREFs are unique documents containing ambitious consumption and emission levels which cannot be found anywhere else.     

Mapping of environmental and technological performance of food and beverage sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina

The objective of this paper is to discuss the mapping methodology implemented in the selection of BAT candidates and to present the results of the mapping of B&H food and beverage sector, prepared as a baseline for the development of national reference documents on Best Available Techniques. The subsectors subject to analysis were: dairy, fish farming, fish processing, fruit and vegetable processing, meat processing, breweries, and slaughterhouses.The sector was mapped from several aspects, including socio-economic, legal, and environmental point of view. The socio-economic aspect focused on understanding the sector’s structure and financial capabilities, pricing for water, energy, and solid waste consumption, as well as employee profiles, in order to better assess the sustainability of decisions taken. Legal mapping focused on relevant regulations, including policies from the following sectors: environment, water use and protection, food safety, agriculture, and veterinary, in order to determine legal requirements from an environmental protection aspect set in the various sector policies. Environmental performance indicators were calculated in order to assess present resource efficiencies and relevant environmental impacts. In addition, the mapping process also addressed the existing level of BAT implementation in the subsectors under consideration.The paper presents a rationale for methodology selection, offers a review of the mapping methodology used, discusses mapping results and provides conclusions in regards to that methodology used and discusses issues that need to be considered in the selection of BAT candidates.     

Lignite coke moving bed adsorber for cement plants – BAT or beyond BAT?

The IPPC Directive requires permits which must contain emission limit values and other conditions based on BAT. The BAT are characterised and the terms ‘conditional BAT’ and ‘beyond BAT’ are defined and explained. The borderline between BAT and beyond BAT is explained by means of an outstanding example which is the lignite coke moving bed adsorber for the abatement of the waste gas from a cement plant where waste for co-incineration is fed to a considerable extent is described in detail. Worldwide, this technique has been successfully applied at one cement plant for sixteen years.     

Methodology for selection of best available techniques (BAT) at the sector level

Best Available Techniques (BAT) are an essential reference element in the establishment of permit conditions for industrial installations in the European Union and elsewhere. BAT are the techniques with the lowest impact on the environment without compromising the economic health of the (industrial) enterprises concerned. BAT can be selected at the plant level but in many European regions, including the Flanders region of Belgium, BAT need to be determined at the sector level. BAT evaluation is usually done by expert judgement. Here, a methodology is described that allows expert judgement in a straightforward and transparent way. Central to this methodology are scores given on technical feasibility, on cross media environmental performances and on economic feasibility. The practicality of this approach was shown in 10 BAT studies of which 2 are discussed in more detail here.     

Environmental performance,indicators and measurement uncertainty in EMS context: a case study

EMS is a tool for managing the interaction between the organization and the environment. The aim of an EMS is to improve the overall environmental performance of the organization. The performance should be monitored through measurements, and managed by indicators. Indicators are variables that summarize or otherwise simplify relevant information about the state of a complex system. A correct evaluation of environmental performance arises from the choice of adequate “raw” data and from the relationships among “raw” data.This paper, after a short excursus concerning the rule of indicators in environmental performance evaluation and the mean of uncertainty, proposes an approach to the study and the evaluation, through indicators and indices, of the environmental aspect “wastewater discharges” of a Local Authority who is involved in EMS implementation. Particularly, the critical analysis of one of the indices that has been used is reported. The role of the uncertainty of measurements has been stressed. The results showed that measurement uncertainty is essential for an efficient data comparison and for a correct evaluation of environmental performance, which, in turn, is essential to guarantee the effectiveness of the EMS application.     

Measuring the environmental performance of IPPC industry: II. Applying the Environmental Emissions Index to quantify environmental performance trends from routinely reported data

Reported emissions data were collated for 35 pharmaceutical-manufacturing installations and 18 power stations holding IPPC licences in Ireland. Consistent and essentially complete sectoral emissions time-series were generated, covering 2002–2006 for the pharmaceutical sector, and 2001–2006 for the electricity-generating sector. Applying the Environmental Emissions Index (EEI) to reported emissions indicated environmental performance improvements of 35 and 30%, respectively, for these two sectors. However, considerable uncertainty was attributed to reporting of heavy metals, NO_x and NMVOC emissions at the installation level, and overall NMVOC emissions from the pharmaceutical sector appeared to be considerably under-reported. The fixed average toxicity factor applied to NMVOC emissions in the EEI may deviate from potential temporal changes in the NMVOC compound mix. Overall, reporting uncertainties were found to have a greater impact on EEI outputs than assumptions made in the EEI model, and including an estimate of total sectoral NMVOC emissions reduced the pharmaceutical sector's environmental performance improvement to 24%. The EEI facilitates the comparison and visualisation of reported emissions, integrating them into environmental performance trends. It should optimise interpretation of abundant, detailed, and underutilised ‘bottom-up’ emissions data generated by IPPC installations. For Ireland's pharmaceutical sector, these data are considerably more comprehensive than EPER data.     

Eco-efficiency of fabric filters in the Italian ceramic tile industry

Italy is an important producer of ceramic tiles, with a high production share in Europe (50%) and worldwide (16%). Since early 1990s, fabric filters have been installed to reduce emissions of dust, lead, fluorine, etc. from firing kilns. Such end-of-pipe technologies can increase energy consumption and production costs. This paper presents a simplified LCA to assess the overall environmental effects of fabric filters in Italian ceramic tiles production. We also calculate the eco-efficiency of such filters, the additional cost per unit reduction of emissions. The results indicate that the environmental drawbacks of the filter are small and that, in comparison to existing eco-efficiency reference values, this air pollution abatement technique can be seen as an eco-efficient technique. These results can be useful in the identification of best available techniques (BAT), which is required under environmental regulations such as EC directive 96/61 (IPPC directive).     

Spatially resolved monitoring for volatile organic compounds using remote sector sampling

Sector sampling for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) is conducted within an integrated sampling scheme and relies on a wind direction sensor. The wind sensor directs whole air, sampled at a constant rate, into either an “IN” sector canister or an “OUT” sector canister; when the wind comes from the suspected emissions area, sample is routed into the IN sector canister; otherwise, sample is collected in the OUT sector canister. This method is analogous to “upwind/downwind” sampling but does not require two distinct sites or manual sampler control. For this set of experiments, the IN and OUT sectors were 90 and 270°, respectively, and the IN sector was centered on the VOC source. Two sampling sites were used. The first was about 2 miles north-northeast of a group of industrial facilities, and the second was located about 1 mile south-southeast of the same sources. Sites were operated concurrently with one sampler each; a third sampler was rotated between the sites to obtain duplicate samples. The air samples were analysed by gas chromatography for VOCs. The resultant data comparisons between IN and OUT duplicate samples show good correlation with expected VOC emissions, which were determined by grab samples within the target area. A t-test method for interpreting the sometimes subtle differences between IN and OUT sample data is presented.     

Complementarity,biodiversity viability analysis,and policy-based algorithms for conservation

Biodiversity conservation “area-selection” strategies include not only trade-offs among society’s needs in land-use allocation, but also allocation of economic instruments such as incentives, levies, and biodiversity credits. For these applications, the key property of an area is its “complementarity”—the context-dependent, marginal gain in biodiversity provided by the area. Given that there has been little implementation of whole-sets of areas generated by the popular computer-based selection methods, we suggest that analogous “policy-based algorithms” would be a more effective real-world application of complementarity. Areas would be “selected” for conservation over time as a consequence of policies in which dynamic complementarity values influence application of economic instruments. These integrated biodiversity/economic strategies can use an extended form of complementarity reflecting marginal changes in regional probability of persistence of biodiversity. While probabilistic measures of biodiversity viability have been explored in area-selection for some time, it remains difficult to make viability statements about “all of biodiversity.” New approaches that use biodiversity surrogate information for “biodiversity viability analysis” (BVA) can take advantage of a general quantitative biodiversity framework in which pattern-based relationships among areas allow predictions at the species level. A standard assumption of “unimodal” species responses to environmental gradients yields an expected distribution of species in an ordination pattern, and allows sampling of inferred species. Based on environmental correlates, inferred species can be mapped in geographic space, forming distribution fragments. This information, when linked to species persistence models, may allow ongoing calculation of areas’ complementarity values. An example illustrates application of these ordination models to museum collection data for lizards from New South Wales (NSW), Australia.     

Measuring the environmental performance of IPPC industry: I. Devising a quantitative science-based and policy-weighted Environmental Emissions Index

This paper describes the derivation of an Environmental Emissions Index (EEI) intended to quantify the environmental performance of Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) installations and sectors. Characterisation and normalisation methods used in lifecycle analyses were applied to 20 routinely reported emissions parameters, pertaining to six environmental impact categories. Distance to policy targets for relevant emissions were used to weight impact categories, and link the EEI to policy priorities. Ireland and the EU15 were considered as scales of context. The European Pollutant Emission Register was a convenient source of normalisation data, but restricted the context of the EEI to industrial emissions, and distorted outputs. Using national and EU15 total loading estimates for normalisation resulted in an EEI that better reflected the relative contribution of reported emissions towards overall environmental pressures. Using Ireland's pharmaceutical sector as a case study indicated that weighting factors, and the toxicity range of NMVOC emissions, were the largest sources of EEI uncertainty. Through the integration of inventory data, scientific characterisation, and policy targets, the EEI translates reported emissions data from IPPC installations and sectors into a benchmark of environmental performance. It may be regarded as an evolving tool of potential utility to regulators and policy makers.     

Environmental profile of textile wet processing in Finland

This study was carried out in major Finnish textile companies in order to create an environmental impact profile for wet processing in Finland as a part of drafting the Best Available Technique (BAT) Reference documents for the European IPPC Bureau. System boundaries were defined for alternative process technologies to be used in BAT definitions. The use of resources and process emissions is, however, monitored for the whole wet processing only in the companies under study. No remarkable differences in energy and water consumption between continuous and batch wet processing could be measured; the lowest dyeing liquor ratios were reported on jet machines and the highest on winch dyeing machines. Dyestuff consumption depends on the colour shade required; some dyes have, however, low fixation rates, such as reactive and sulphur dyes, only 60% on average. About 20% of the process liquor containing unfixed dyestuffs and auxiliaries end up in sewage treatment plants. These chemicals are not recovered and reused in the companies under study. All industrial plants in Finland discharge their wastewater to municipal sewage treatment plants, which carry out wastewater analysis and control. All textile plants, which use more than 50 tonnes of organic solvents per year, are under official off-gas control in Finland.     

Industrial ecology framework for achieving cleaner production in the mining and minerals industry

Industrial ecology (IE) is an emerging framework adopted in the manufacturing, construction, and process industries to provide innovative solutions in strategic planning, leading to cleaner operation and production. An IE framework integrates a large number of processes, economic constraints, and environmental, health and safety considerations for optimized resource utilization. This paper provides a review of environmental management practices in the mining and minerals industry, emphasizing two concepts: IE and cleaner production. The mining and minerals industry provides primary materials for industrial activities; as such, it is an important component in the “industrial ecosystem.” This industry is subject to very stringent social and environmental scrutiny, while providing society with required natural resources to meet essential sustainable development requirements. The implementation of an IE framework in the sector will contribute to sustainable development.     

Identification of best available techniques in the seafood industry: a case study

A Best Available Techniques (BAT) analysis of a mussel canning processing facility in northwest Spain was undertaken to investigate potential cleaner production and efficiency improvements. Potential techniques were identified from the literature and from our experience in the seafood sector. BATs were then assessed for possible implementation in a mussel canning facility. This work describes, in considerable detail, the advantages and disadvantages of the techniques discussed.     

中国燃煤部门大气汞排放协同控制效果评估及未来预测

汞污染已成为一个全球性的环境问题,我国是世界上大气汞排放量最大的国家,在批准《关于汞的水俣公约》之后,我国的汞污染控制面临严峻的挑战.燃煤部门是我国大气汞排放的第一大部门,也是履约的重点部门.本研究建立了我国燃煤部门2010年和2012年的大气汞排放清单,评估了"大气污染防治行动计划"("大气十条")对燃煤部门大气汞排放的协同控制效果.同时,使用情景分析法,对2020年和2030年燃煤部门的大气汞排放进行了预测,分析了未来不同控制措施的减排效果.结果表明,2010年中国燃煤电厂、燃煤工业锅炉和民用燃煤炉灶的大气汞排放量的最佳估计值分别为100.0、72.5和18.0 t."大气十条"的实施可使我国燃煤部门到2017年比2012年减少92.5 t的大气汞排放.能源结构的调整、洗煤比例的提高和除尘设备的升级改造对于大气汞的减排效果最显著.在最佳估计情景下,2020年和2030年燃煤部门大气汞排放量分别为128.5和80.0 t,与2010年相比分别降低了33%和58%;在最严格控制情景下,2020年和2030年燃煤部门大气汞的排放量分别为103.2和50.9 t,相较2010年分别下降了46%和73%.     

Life cycle engineering methodology applied to material selection,a fender case study

Materials selection is a multidisciplinary activity, which integrates a large number of knowledge fields and professional domains. In fact a material selection decision should capture not only the functional performance required for the application but should also consider the economical and environmental impacts originated all along the product life cycle. In this paper a life cycle engineering (LCE) approach is proposed to support material selection, integrating the performance of the material for the specific application in technological, environmental and economical dimensions throughout the duration of the product. The methodology proposed compares a set of candidate materials and, through the aggregation of the three dimensions (technical, economical and environmental), identifies the “best material domains”. These “best material domains” are presented in a ternary diagram, which allows a global comparison of the candidate materials and supports an informed decision as regards the selection of the “best material” according to different business scenarios and corporate strategies. The methodology was applied to a case study aiming the use of new metallic materials (high strength steels and aluminium alloys) for an automobile fender currently made of mild steel and the evaluation of potential benefits as regards the global performance of the material.     

Insights from a Systematic Search for Information on Designs,Costs, and Effectiveness of Poliovirus Environmental Surveillance Systems

Poliovirus surveillance plays a critical role in achieving and certifying eradication and will play a key role in the polio endgame. Environmental surveillance can provide an opportunity to detect circulating polioviruses prior to the observation of any acute flaccid paralysis cases. We completed a systematic review of peer-reviewed publications on environmental surveillance for polio including the search terms “environmental surveillance” or “sewage,” and “polio,” “poliovirus,” or “poliomyelitis,” and compared characteristics of the resulting studies. The review included 146 studies representing 101 environmental surveillance activities from 48 countries published between 1975 and 2016. Studies reported taking samples from sewage treatment facilities, surface waters, and various other environmental sources, although they generally did not present sufficient details to thoroughly evaluate the sewage systems and catchment areas. When reported, catchment areas varied from 50 to over 7.3 million people (median of 500,000 for the 25% of activities that reported catchment areas, notably with 60% of the studies not reporting this information and 16% reporting insufficient information to estimate the catchment area population size). While numerous studies reported the ability of environmental surveillance to detect polioviruses in the absence of clinical cases, the review revealed very limited information about the costs and limited information to support quantitative population effectiveness of conducting environmental surveillance. This review motivates future studies to better characterize poliovirus environmental surveillance systems and the potential value of information that they may provide in the polio endgame.