a1-cbiss - Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems, Gas Detection, Air Qual, Hire

Published - 10th September, 2008

Related to the category: Gas Detection

TIME IS RUNNING OUT! Ensure that you are compliant with F Gas Regulations to avoid the penalties

What are fluorinated gases?

Fluorinated gases are man-made gases that are used in a number of different sectors. The most commonly used fluorinated gases belong to a class of chemicals known as hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs). HFCs were virtually unused before 1990 but since then have been used to replace ozone depleting substances, such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and (HCFCs), in, for example, refrigeration and air-conditioning equipment. Other fluorinated gases are perfluorocarbons (PFCs), which are used in the fire fighting and electronics sectors, and sulphur hexafluoride (SF₆), which is used in diverse applications such as training shoes and as a cover-gas in magnesium diecasting operations.

Why is it beneficial to reduce F Gas emissions?

Although F Gases do not damage the ozone layer like the CFCs that they replace, they are powerful greenhouse gases, are generally long-lived and are included in the ‘basket of gases’ under the Kyoto Protocol. The Kyoto Protocol placed legally binding requirements on signatories to reduce their carbon (and equivalent) emissions to below 1990 levels. Reducing F Gas emissions will contribute towards meeting this obligation.

F gases and ozone depleting substances - who is affected?

Many commercial, industrial and public sector organisations will have obligations under the Regulations. Key uses of F Gases and ODS include refrigeration and air-conditioning, fire protection systems and high voltage switchgear. They are also used in various types of aerosol and in certain specialised industrial processes. What you are obliged to do, will depend on the type of organisation as follows:

End users of F Gases have a number of obligations related to containment, gas recovery and record keeping. There are a large number of organisations that use F Gases and they must all ensure they are complying with the Regulations.
Contractors working with F Gases have obligations related to the use of suitably qualified personnel and provision of appropriate equipment. Contractors in refrigeration, air-conditioning and fire protection will also need to obtain a certificate to allow them to work with F Gases.
Equipment manufacturers and distributors have obligations related to equipment labelling and must ensure they adhere to the applicable F Gas product bans. They can help end users by selling equipment that has very low leakage rates.
F Gas bans will apply in a number of markets including the use of F Gases in certain types of containers, the use of SF₆ in magnesium smelting and the use of non-refillable F Gas containers. HCFC refrigerants will be phased out between 2010 and 2015.

Sectors

Stationary refrigeration, air-conditioning and heat pumps
Users of stationary refrigeration and air conditioning systems are the largest single source of F Gas emissions, representing nearly 27% of the 2005 UK total. It is also the largest end use affected by the Ozone Regulation.
Users of these systems can be found across a large number of sectors including – food retail, non-food retail, office buildings, hospitality, leisure, catering, food and drink manufacture and chemical manufacturing, to name but a few. In terms of emissions, the most significant sectors are supermarket refrigeration, industrial refrigeration and buildings air-conditioning. The major organisations in these sectors will be approached by F Gas Support to sign a Compliance Assistance Agreement to provide a demonstration of their commitment to these regulations.

Fire protection
F Gases are only used in certain types of fire protection systems, typically in specialised buildings serving computers or telecoms. HFCs are the F Gas of choice for this type of installation and are an effective way of extinguishing fires without causing as much damage as would occur with some alternatives such as water sprinkler systems.
The use of HFC fire protection systems is relatively small and the emissions only contribute approximately 3% of the 2005 UK F Gas emissions. Some emissions from these systems are inevitable because in the event of a fire all the HFC is used to put out the fire.

Mobile air conditioning
The emissions from this sector accounted for 11% of the UK total 2005 emissions of F Gases. So whilst the quantity of F Gas contained in a system is relatively small, usually less than 1 kg in each vehicle, the number of systems and their potential to leak makes them a cause for concern.
Air conditioning systems found in vehicles built after 1993 use HFC 134a as the refrigerant. The number of car air-conditioning systems has increased significantly since the late 1990s and, as the typical life of a vehicle is 12 years, most systems in existence use an HFC refrigerant. In the future there will be a ban on the use of F Gases in car air conditioning; this will be introduced through the MAC Directive which affects car manufacturers (for new vehicle types introduced after January 2011).

High voltage switchgear containing SF₆
SF₆ is used as an insulating gas in certain types of switchgear as it is a better electrical insulator than air and this allows “gas insulated” high voltage switches to be more compact than “air insulated” equivalents. Emissions of SF₆ from switchgear are estimated to be 4% of the 2005 UK F Gas emissions.

Fluid supply
It is estimated that emissions from manufacturing, handling and supply account for 17% of the 2005 UK F Gas emissions.

How can a1-cbiss help you to be F Gas compliant?

a1-cbiss have designed the Automatic Refrigeration Monitoring System which prevents F Gas leakages and ensures systems are checked for leaks. The ARMS is based on proven gas detection technologies, with enhanced features and benefits, it is the only 24 & 32 channel system for the simultaneous measurement of multiple gases including: carbon dioxide, HFC’s and ammonia. It is configured to meet the specific requirements of the F Gas regulation.

Please click on the following link for more information
Automatic Refrigerant Monitoring System

For more information on F Gas please visit:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/air-atmos/fgas/index.htm
 

Published - 9th September, 2008

Related to the category: Incineration

What is the Waste Incineration Directive (WID)?
The Waste Incineration Directive (WID) is a European law which aims to prevent, or limit as far as practicable, negative effects on the environment from the incineration and co-incineration of waste. The Directive applies to most activities that involve the burning of waste, whether for disposal or when used as fuel.

The Waste Incineration Directive was implemented in the UK in 2002 and 2003, by separate regulations for England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, in conjunction with the pollution prevention and control (PPC) regime. These regulations introduced strict regulatory controls and minimum technical standards for waste incinerators and co-incinerators. Note that other legal controls may also apply if you burn waste.

What are incineration and co-incineration plants?
Incineration Plant
The Waste Incineration Directive (WID) defines an incineration plant as any stationary or mobile technical unit and equipment dedicated to the thermal treatment of waste with or without the recovery of the combustion heat generated. This includes the incineration of waste as well as other thermal treatment processes such as pyrolysis, gasification or plasma processes where substances resulting from the treatment are then incinerated.

Co-incineration Plant
The directive defines a co-incineration plant as any stationary or mobile plant whose main purpose is the generation of energy or production of material products, and:

• which uses waste as a regular or additional fuel, or
• in which waste is thermally treated for the purpose of disposal

The WID definitions of incineration plant and co-incineration plant also include related operations and equipment around the plant.

Does the WID apply to me?
If you burn solid or liquid waste in a technical unit, the rules are likely to apply to you, no matter how little waste you burn.

The directive introduces strict conditions and minimum technical requirements on waste incineration operators, so they can achieve higher standards of emission control, more cost-effectively.

Most waste burning activities will be subject to the Waste Incineration Directive through permits issued for activities listed under Part A of the Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) regime.

As of 28 December 2005, operators of all waste incineration plants should have made an application to their environmental regulator, and have either a new PPC permit or a Waste Incineration Directive variation for an existing PPC permit or IPC authorisation.

If you are in any doubt whether you are burning ’waste’, you should contact your local environmental regulator for advice. Some activities are excluded from the directive, such as radioactive waste, which is covered by other rules.

What do I need to do to comply?
Most waste burning activities will be subject to the Waste Incineration Directive through environmental permits or pollution prevention and control (PPC) permits issued for activities listed under Part A of the directive.

If your plant falls under the LCPD or WID you will be required to operate a Continuous Emissions Monitoring System – (CEMS). Selection, commissioning and operation of this system will be subject to EN 14181.

Failure to comply with the requirements of EN 14181 may well result in a breach of operating permits.

At a1-cbiss, we believe that EN 14181 has raised the quality of monitoring in the UK and also put tighter controls on the monitoring equipment, the installation of this equipment and the way in which the operator reports their results.

How can a1-cbiss help you?

a1-cbiss are one of the UK’s leading CEMS suppliers, with over 20 years of experience spanning a number of industries and applications. All equipment is designed and supplied specifically for the application and for compliance with the precise requirements of LCPD, WID & EN 14181. We offer:

• Extensive knowledge of the Waste Incineration Directive
• MCERTS certified monitoring systems - EN14181 QAL1 compliant
• Data acquisition & reporting software conforming with EN14181 QAL2 & QAL3 requirements
• A 24 hour, 7 days a week service team that provide repair, calibration, preventative maintenance, software support and remote diagnostics
• A dedicated customer service team responsible for all sales & hire enquiries

For more information on a1-cbiss WID compliant systems, click here

What does EN 14181 mean?
“(QAL 1) to demonstrate that the CEMS is suitable for the intended purpose before installation, by meeting required performance standards and the uncertainty budgets specified in the EU directives;”
Manufacturers Responsibility

“(QAL 2) to calibrate the CEMS and determine the variability of the measured values obtained by it; so as to demonstrate the suitability of the CEMS for its application, following installation;”
End Users Responsibility working with the manufacturer

“(QAL 3) to maintain and demonstrate the required quality of the measurement results during the normal operation of the CEMS, by checking that the zero and span characteristics are consistent with those determined during QAL 1;”
End Users Responsibility

What does this mean in practical terms?
• YOU should ensure that you purchase EN 14181 compliant equipment, insisting on receiving QAL 1 statements from vendors prior to purchase.

• YOU need to arrange extensive and independent validation of the installed systems in line with EN 14181’s QAL 2 requirement.

• YOU should operate a fully documented and quality assured operation and maintenance regime for all aspects of the installed systems in line with QAL 3 requirements.

• YOU need to arrange annual surveillance tests to confirm measurement validity remains acceptable and to audit system maintenance and plant operational parameters.

Need more information?

Call a1-cbiss on 0151 666 8300 where our customer services team are on hand to discuss your requirements.

http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/business/1745440/444663/1135130/

http://www.netregs.gov.uk/netregs/275207/1108823/1495391/?lang=_e

Published - 9th September, 2008

Related to the category: Combustion and Biomass Applications

Who does the LCPD apply to?
The revised Large Combustion Plant Directive (LCPD, 2001/80/EC) applies to combustion plants with a thermal output of greater than 50 MW
 

What does the LCPD do?
The LCPD aims to reduce acidification, ground level ozone and particles throughout Europe by controlling emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO₂) and nitrogen oxides (NO_x) and dust (particulate matter (PM)) from large combustion plants (LCPs) in power stations, petroleum refineries, steelworks and other industrial processes running on solid, liquid or gaseous fuel.
These pollutants are major contributors to acid deposition, which acidifies soils and freshwater bodies, damages plants and aquatic habitats, and corrodes building materials.
NO_x reacts with volatile organic compounds in the presence of sunlight to form ozone that can adversely affect human health and ecosystems.
SO₂, NO_x and particles can travel long distances from their sources before being deposited onto land, surface waters or oceans, or forming ozone. Emissions from the UK contribute to pollution problems in other Member States, while Germany, Netherlands, France, Ireland and Belgium are the principal non-domestic contributors to sulphur and nitrogen deposition in the UK.
A Europe-wide approach to reducing these pollutants and their impact is therefore required.
The revised LCPD takes into account advances in combustion and abatement technologies.

How does the LCPD reduce emissions?
New combustion plant must meet the emission limit values (ELVs) given in the LCPD. For ’existing’ plants (i.e. those in operation pre-1987), Member States can choose to meet the obligations by either:
1. Complying with ELVs for NO_x, SO₂, and particles.
2. Operating within a ’National Plan’. That would set an annual national level of emissions calculated by applying the ELV approach to existing plants, on the basis of those plants’ average actual operating hours, fuel used and thermal input, over the 5 years to 2000. 
 

How can a1-cbiss help you?
For our full range of systems for the power industry please click here
 

More information on the revised LCPD can be found at:
http://www.defra.gov.uk/environment/airquality/eu-int/eu-directives/lcpd/