An evaluation of the direct costs of abatement under the main desulphurisation technologies

This study summarizes the available information on the technical characteristics and costs of those sulphur abatement technol¬ogies in operation at present or coming into operation in the near future. Relying on disaggregated source data and using engineering cost functions and various technical and economic assumptions, the least cost curves of sulphur abatement for all the European countries have been derived and some examples are presented. Finally, a sensitivity analysis of abatement strategies and costs to some alternative assumptions about energy futures is presentedAcid rain; Desulphurization; Abatement cost

Best Available Techniques (BAT) Reference Document:for:Iron and Steel Production:Industrial Emissions Directive 2010/75/EU:(Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control)

The BREF entitled ‘Iron and Steel Production’ forms part of a series presenting the results of an exchange of information between EU Member States, the industries concerned, non-governmental organisations promoting environmental protection and the Commission, to draw up, review, and where necessary, update BAT reference documents as required by Article 13(1) of the Directive. This document is published by the European Commission pursuant to Article 13(6) of the Directive. This BREF for the iron and steel production industry covers the following specified in Annex I to Directive 2010/75/EU, namely: • activity 1.3: coke production • activity 2.1: metal ore (including sulphide ore) roasting and sintering • activity 2.2: production of pig iron or steel (primary or secondary fusion) including continuous casting, with a capacity exceeding 2.5 tonnes per hour. The document also covers some activities that may be directly associated to these activities on the same site. Important issues for the implementation of Directive 2010/75/EU in the production of iron and steel are the reduction of emissions to air; efficient energy and raw material usage; minimisation, recovery and the recycling of process residues; as well as effective environmental and energy management systems. The BREF document contains 13 chapters. Chapter 1 provides general information on the iron and steel sector. Chapter 2 provides information and data on general industrial processes used within this sector. Chapters 3 to 8 provide information on particular iron and steel processes (sinter plants, pelletisation, coke ovens, blast furnaces, basic oxygen steelmaking and casting, electric arc steelmaking and casting). In Chapter 9 the BAT conclusions, as defined in Article 3(12) of the Directive, are presented for the sectors described in Chapters 2 to 8.JRC.J.5-Sustainable Production and Consumptio

Sulfur Emissions, Abatement Technologies and Related Costs for Europe in the RAINS Model Database

This paper describes the part of the Regional Pollution Information and Simulation (RAINS) model dealing with the potential and costs controlling emissions of sulfur dioxide. The paper describes the selected aggregation level of the emission generating activities and reviews the major options for controlling SO2 emissions. An algorithm for estimating emission control costs is presented. The cost calculation distinguishes 'general'(i.e., valid for all countries) and 'country-specific' parameters in order to capture characteristic technology- and site-specific factors influencing the actual costs of applying a certain measure under a given condition. The methodology is illustrated by two examples for typical control technologies (wet flue gas desulfurization and the use of low-sulfur gas oil). Finally, the method for constructing emission abatement cost curves showing the relationships between the level of remaining emissions and the associated costs is explained. The general parameters used in the cost calculations are presented in the main body of the report, while all country-specific parameters are contained in a number of appendices. In addition, these country-specific appendices present the energy scenarios as they are currently implemented in the RAINS model, and the resulting cost curves for SO2 control related to these energy scenarios

The Commission of Conservation as a Forerunner to the National Research Council 1909-1921

This paper links the history of the Canadian Commission of Conservation (1909-1921) to the creation of the National Research Council through the fight between the two organizations for federal funds in scientific research. In my view, the Commission of Conservation (or COC) was abolished in 1921 because it persisted in advocating conservation, an expression of early 20th century environmentalism, in a world which was no longer interested in this issue.Cet article fait état des liens entre l’histoire de la Commission de la conservation (1909-1921) et celle du Conseil national de recherches du Canada. Durant les années 1910, ces deux organisations ont lutté pour s’approprier des subventions fédérales dans le domaine de la recherche scientifique. L’auteur estime que la Commission de la conservation a été abolie en 1921 parce qu’elle persistait à promouvoir une vision du développement axée sur la conservation de l’environnement dans un monde qui ne s’intéressait plus à cette question

Nitric oxide removal from flue gases by carbon-enriched coal fly ash

The aim of this work is to evaluate the characteristics of activated and non-activated carbons obtained from carbon-enriched coal fly ash (CECFA) from two different power stations in order to be used in the low temperature reduction of NO from stack gases. Carbon-rich fractions were obtained by mechanical sieving of fly ashes and by oil agglomeration. Activation of some samples was carried out in steam at 900ºC in order to develop porosity onto the samples. The obtained activated and non-activated samples were characterized by several techniques and their nitric oxide removal capacity at low temperature using ammonia as reducing agent was evaluated (gas conditions: 150 ºC, 1000 µL/L NO, 1200 µL/L NH3 , 60 mL/L O2, Ar as balance). CECFA obtained only by sieving had carbon contents varying from 1 % to 47 % and NO reduction levels varying from 3 % to 29%. CECFA L2A and E2A, obtained by sieving, agglomeration and further activation, contained 66 % and 57 % of carbon respectively, and their NO conversion was 36 % and 48%. BET surface areas of CECFA samples before activation were in all case below 20 m2/g. In the case of activated samples, L2A and E2A, the surface area increased to 217 and 395 m2/g respectively. In all cases, and comparing samples with the same carbon content, CECFA coming from Escucha fly ash demonstrated higher NO conversion capacity. The obtained results show that carbon content, surface area and parent coal type are the main parameters that influence the NO removal capacity of the obtained CECFA.The Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation and the European Community (European Regional Development Fund) (Project No. CTM2004- 04252C02).Peer reviewe

Modeling Particulate Emissions in Europe. A Framework to Estimate Reduction Potential and Control Costs

This paper presents the extension of the Regional Air Pollution Information and Simulation (RAINS) model that addresses present and future emissions of fine particulates in Europe, the potential for controlling these emissions and the costs of such emission reductions. Together with the existing modules dealing with the emissions of the precursor emissions of secondary aerosols such as sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), ammonia (NH3) and volatile organic compounds (VOC), this extension enables the comparison of the potentials and costs for controlling primary emissions of fine particles with those of secondary aerosols and to find cost-minimal approaches for reducing ambient levels of particulate matter. The emissions of particulate matter (PM) in the RAINS model are calculated for three different size classes: the fine fraction (PM2.5), the coarse fraction (PM10 - PM2.5) and large particles (PM_>10 5m). Summed up, these three fractions represent total suspended particles (TSP). Fine particles are emitted from a large number of sources with large differences in their technical and economic properties. The methodology distinguishes 392 source categories for stationary energy combustion, industrial processes, mobile sources and agriculture. For each of these sectors, the study explores the applicable options for reducing PM emissions, their efficiency and their costs. Emissions characteristics of the individual sectors are strongly determined by country-specific conditions. The methodology estimates emission control costs of standard technologies under the specific conditions characteristic for the various European countries. Based on the assumption of the general availability of control technologies with equal technical properties and costs, a number of country-specific circumstances (level of technological advancement, installation size distribution, labor costs, etc.) are used to estimate the costs for the actual operation of pollution control equipment. For the individual source sectors, emissions are estimated based on statistical information on economic activity and emission factors that reflect hypothetical emissions if no control measures were applied. These emission factors were taken from the literature and were, to the maximum possible extent, adapted to the country-specific conditions. Actual emissions are calculated taking into account the application of emission control measures in a given sector, for which also costs are estimated. The methodology was implemented for all European countries, covering the period from 1990 to 2010. At an aggregated level, estimates for past years (1990, 1995) correspond well with other national and international inventories. However, discrepancies are found for some detailed results for individual sectors and activities, and more work will be necessary to clarify them. This preliminary implementation suggests for Europe a 50 percent decline of primary emissions of fine particles between 1990 and 1995, mainly due to the economic restructuring in central and eastern European countries. The recently tightened regulations on large combustion plants and mobile sources will further reduce PM emissions, so that for 2010 European PM emissions are expected to be 60 percent below the level of 1990. However, less improvement is expected for the health-relevant fraction of fine particles (PM2.5). It needs to be emphasized that these preliminary estimates are still associated with considerable uncertainties, and more work, involving national experts, will be necessary to obtain a verified and generally accepted European data base to estimate the potential for further reductions of fine particles in Europe. The present implementation (version 2.00) of the RAINS PM module on the Internet (www.iiasa.ac.at/rains/Rains-online.html) provides free access to the input data and results to facilitate interaction with national experts

Pretreatment Processes of Biomass for Biorefineries: Current Status and Prospects

Producción CientíficaThis article seeks to be a handy document for the academy and the industry to get quickly up to speed on the current status and prospects of biomass pretreatment for biorefineries. It is divided into two biomass sources: vegetal and animal. Vegetal biomass is the material produced by plants on land or in water (algae), consuming sunlight, CO2, water, and soil nutrients. This includes residues or main products from, for example, intensive grass crops, forestry, and industrial and agricultural activities. Animal biomass is the residual biomass generated from the production of food from animals (e.g., manure and whey). This review does not mean to include every technology in the area, but it does evaluate physical pretreatments, microwave-assisted extraction, and water treatments for vegetal biomass. A general review is given for animal biomass based in physical, chemical, and biological pretreatments

Nitrogen Oxides Emissions, Abatement Technologies and Related Costs for Europe in the RAINS Model Database

This paper describes the module of the Regional Air Pollution Information and Simulation (RAINS) model dealing with the potential and costs for controlling emissions of nitrogen oxides. The paper discusses the selected aggregation level of the emission generating activities and reviews the major options for controlling NOx emissions. Algorithms for estimating emission control costs for stationary and mobile sources are presented. The cost calculation distinguishes 'general' (i.e., valid for all countries) and 'country-specific' parameters in order to capture characteristic technology- and site-specific factors influencing the actual costs of applying a certain measure under a given condition. The methodology is illustrated by two examples for typical control technologies (combustion modification together with selective catalytic reduction for power plant boilers and catalytic converters for cars). Finally, the method for constructing emission batement cost curves showing the relationships between the level of remaining emissions and the associated cost is explained. The general parameters used for cost calculation are presented in the main body of the report, while all country-specific parameters are contained in a number of appendices. Furthermore, energy scenarios as they are currently implemented in the RAINS model and the resulting cost curves for NOx control related to these energy scenarios are presented in these annexes

Geological and chemical characteristics of Diatomaceous earth from the deposit Veshje near Negotino - R. Macedonia

This paper presents the results of the geological and chemical research of Diatomaceous earth in the deposit Veshje near by Negotino. The deposit - Veshje belongs to Tikvesh basin which is situated in the central part of Vardar zone. This rich and numerical representation of diatomaceous flora and conditions that were present in the upper lake basin during Pliocene are actually the major factors for the formation of productive layer of Diatomaceous earth. Productive diatomaceous horizon appears in a form of a layer, with a length of 1-2 km and a thickness of 0,6 - 1,25 m, tending to form a spike towards the peripheral parts of the basin. Immediate layers above and below of the productive horizon are the andesite tuffs and agglomerations. Based on chemical analyzes made done on Diatomaceous earth from Veshje, it resulted in the following content: SiO2 - 78.40 %, Al2O3 - 6.40 % CaO - 2.20% and Fe2O3 - 2.60 %. Under this structure, Diatomaceous earth is a quality mineral resource which can be applied for filtration, thermal insulation and many other uses in industry and construction