Index
What you should know
At Epidor Seals and Rubber Technology we are committed to growth and evolution, therefore, knowledge is necessary.
Under this premise we have carried out the fugitive emissions webinar, by Antoine Simon, Business Manager for Epidor Seals and Rubber Technology and José Luis de Veciana, Area Sales Manager Iberia for Garlock.
Want to know more? We explain.
What are fugitive emissions?Fugitive emissions are a type of non-channelled emissions. Leaks or gradual losses of product that occur through different equipment or components. These are the emissions more difficult to quantify, detect and correct.
There is no single definition of fugitive emissions, due to the fact that there is no single type of fugitive emission, emissions, nor is there a single way to quantify them. This depends very much on the environment in which these emissions are found. These are mainly due to human industrial activity.
This type of issue makes up a total of 5% of gas emissions greenhouse gas emissions, which is a significant amount and has a major impact on the environment.
Legislation on fugitive emissions
It is necessary to take into account the importance in the Spanish and European territory to have a regulation and quantification of the fugitive emissions that are carried, by the industry, to the terrestrial atmosphere. And so, to be able to enhance and limit them.
There are some regulations that must be taken into account when dealing with them.
- SEISpanish System of Inventory of Emissions to the Atmosphere.
- Sectoral DR / BATs or MTDs.
- AAIIntegrated Environmental Authorization.
Causes and factors
Fugitive emissions are unavoidable, but they must be prevented from occurring at large quantities and try to reduce them as much as possible.. To do this, it is essential to start by knowing the causes and factors that provoke them.
Causes leading to fugitive emissions
Fugitive emissions can arise from a variety of causes. Some of them are:
- Wear and tear of the work equipment or its components The leakage of watertightness, which leads to leaks in different spaces.
- Design, construction, use or installation of equipment.
- An equipment error or failure, which can cause them.
Although it may seem an insignificant amount, small leaks in an installation can end up becoming significant. Keep in mind that 1% of valves in gas service can generate more than 70% of fugitive emissions on one floor.
It is therefore important to take into account the parts of the valves through which the most fugitive emissions are usually produced, We are working to achieve good results in the short term.
Factors to be taken into account to avoid fugitive emissions
There are many factors to consider that can cause fugitive emissions to appear, increase or decrease. These are:
- Equipment design
- Age and quality of equipment
- Installation standards
- Fluid vapor pressure
- Process pressure and temperature
- Number and type of sources
- Maintenance and inspection routines
- Production volume
Associated costs
When we talk about costs caused by fugitive emissions, the most worrying ones are those related to the impact on the environment and human health, but, in addition to these, there are the economic costs.
These are the visible costs and the invisible costs:
- The visible costs are those related to the loss of obvious material.
- The invisible costs relate to those costs that are indirectly generated by fugitive emissions. An example is the labor required for detection and repair, the odors and nuisances they generate with the loss of product or the costs of cleanup and even fines... that they can cause.
NMVOC emissions
NMVOCs, i.e. emissions of Non-Methane Volatile Organic Compounds, refer to compounds that can become highly toxic. Products that contribute to global warming in a significant way and damage atmospheric ozone.
These emissions are significant, since, taking 2019 as a reference year, they came to be accounted for with 583,000 tons, of which, 48% came from the industry..
Techniques to prevent and reduce them
These are a matter of concern for the industry. For this reason, techniques have been researched and selected to avoid them.. Here are some of the most important available minimization measures. It is absolutely necessary to use high performance sealing systems. These are:
- High performance flanges and gaskets
- Quality and high integrity valves and pumps
- Low emissivity gaskets.
In addition, it is recommended to establish a leak detection and repair program, with, for example, valve monitoring or results analysis.
ISO and TA-LUFT standards
EN ISO 15848-1
Due to the problem with this type of emissions, the ISO standard is developed to deal with fugitive emissions in industrial valves.
EN ISO 15848-1 defines the procedures for measuring, testing and qualifying fugitive emissions in industrial valves.
TA-LUFT
This regulation, which originated in Germany, The reduction of pollutants emitted by industrial plants is fully addressed. The regulation, which has been in force in Germany since 1974, has been revised and will come into force in 2021 at the European level.
This regulation presents a list of fluids that are hazardous to the environment or to humans. This list is composed of 700 pages, The limits that a fluid must have in order to be considered toxic or non-toxic are determined.
Thanks to the new revision made in 2021, we are currently fugitive emissions are already taken into account, among others, in this list. Giving them the importance they deserve.