“A great help that saves time and costs,” say representatives from the industry about new guideline on how to carry out automated measurement of emissions from waste incineration plants.
Daily routines have become much easier in 2007 for the owners of incineration plants, measurement companies and suppliers of equipment. This is the result of the guidelines announced by Ref-Lab, the Danish EPA’s Reference Laboratory, including a raft of recommendations on how to carry out measurements of emissions on waste incineration plants. No less than 61 practical recommendations are included in the guidelines which have seen the light of day in a collaboration between the authorities and players within the industry.
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Ref-Lab helps the energy industry players to more unambiguous interpretation of regulations. |
“Before the work with the guidelines was commenced, Ref-Lab had received a number of practical and interpretational questions on the application of the standard EN 14181 and related directives from a number of players within the industry. EN 14181 covers quality assurance of automated measurement systems and these questions showed us that there was a need for easier and unambiguous interpretation of the regulations regarding measuring equipment and techniques”, says Lars K. Gram, head of Ref-Lab.
Pragmatics enjoying pride of place
One of the many challenges that the guidelines tackle is that plants with permanently low emissions until now have been associated with very complex and cost intensive solutions which have not benefitted the environment. However, the aim of this recommendation is to make sure that the measurements will record increased and high emissions and that the plant will respond to this. A clear simplification and thus a situation which is easier to handle both with respect to the plants, the measurement companies and the suppliers of equipment.
The philosophy behind all the recommendations has been the importance of discovering pragmatic solutions which are appropriate for both, plants, authorities and environment and in keeping with the intentions behind the directives and EN 14181.
Accurate advisory services
“One of the results of the increased requirements under EN 14181 is that our service standard has been improved and we have invested in new technology to meet the requirements for equipment and measurement techniques. And with the guidelines from Ref-Lab we are now able to provide our customers with accurate advice on which equipment and measurement techniques to apply,” says Lars Kristensen, functional manager of FLSmidth Airloq A/S, a provider of measurements of emissions and measuring equipment for incineration plants.
He is assisted by Lennart Scherman, engineer of Kommunekemi, who also took part in the preparation of the guidelines:
“We have had a good and constructive dialogue both with the authorities and Ref-Lab, who have been very sympathetic to the challenges we met with EN 14181. There have been good intentions to understand our need for practical and manageable guidelines. As regards Kommunekemi it has been specified to us how to solve the problem regarding constantly low emissions. This will make our daily routines much easier and reduce the extensive and often difficult to use measurements that EN 14181 had otherwise suggested.”
The reference laboratory will continue to work according to European standards to incorporate the Danish recommendations into the common European standards and directives.
