Developments in Process Gas Analysers and their impact on our air quality
Stephen Gibbons, Head of Product Management, Continuous Gas Analysers for ABB Measurement & Analytics
One of the very few upsides of the COVID pandemic is the cleaner air we are experiencing, as transport is curtailed, and industrial production cut back. Various news outlets have published space-based images showing before and after shots of countries ranging from Italy to India, with coloured overlays showing the effects of the pandemic on air pollutants. There is no doubt that there has been a big reduction, but this cannot last forever. Getting back to ‘normal’ will mean more emissions but the almost pre-industrial levels of airborne pollutants we’ve been enjoying has brought added attention to the subject and raised questions about how we can rein them in.
Of course, even before the pandemic, there was a great deal of legislation already in place or in the pipeline. Many heavily industrialized nations have already made great strides in cleaning up their act and developing nations are also keen to show that they can ramp up their industrial base while remaining environmentally responsible.
A number of legislations are tightening up their requirements, demanding that polluting facilities and plants install Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (CEMS) to meet strict new levels or monitor previously unaddressed pollutants. Among these legislations is the EU, which is bridging the gap between large combustion plants and smaller appliances like boilers with its Medium Combustion Plant Directive (MCPD).
nitrogen oxides (NOX) and dust.
This applies to the approximately 143,000 plants in the EU with a rated thermal input equal to or greater than 1 Megawatt thermal (MWth) and less than 50 MWth and is designed to control emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO2
),
The EU is also bringing large combustion plants for most solid fuels, such as power stations burning biomass, into line with waste incineration plants. The latest Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) adds further CEMS gas analysis requirements, including mercury, hydrogen chloride, hydrogen fl uoride, carbon monoxide, ammonia and total Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs).
India is also making efforts to curb emissions, with many highly polluting industries from metal processing, oil and pesticides required to introduce CEMS to monitor particulates, ammonia, sulfur dioxide, oxides of nitrogen, chlorine, hydrogen chloride and carbon monoxide, amongst others.
A wealth of technology options
In the UK, 1997 saw the introduction of the Environment Agency’s Monitoring Certifi cation Scheme (MCERTS) for CEMS, initially focusing on monitoring emissions from chimney stacks. The scheme produced performance standards for large combustion plants, the incineration of municipal and hazardous wastes and processes that employ solvents. MCERTS covers the two main monitoring techniques - extractive stack-emission monitoring and cross-stack or in-situ monitoring instruments.
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