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IPPC and refineries: England and Wales

This article discusses the implementation of the Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) regulations in refineries in England and Wales. It covers the permit application process, key issues for refineries under IPPC, and outcomes of the permits, including improvement programs and reduced emissions. Contact details for Roy Caughlin, Technical Adviser at the Environment Agency UK, are provided.

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IPPC and refineries: England and Wales

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  1. IPPC and refineries: England and Wales Roy Caughlin Technical Adviser Environment Agency U.K. 4 July 2008

  2. Implementation of IPPC: • U.K. enabling Act and then PPC Regulations issued • Timetable set over several years to bring Sectors under PPC • Refineries were one of the last Sectors to transfer to PPC • Refineries permit application window: June-August 2006 • Public consultation and statutory consultees (e.g. HPA) • Other EU Directive requirements taken on board • Refinery PPC Permits issued in 2007

  3. Refineries in England & Wales • 8 refineries in E & W [Note: 1 refinery in Scotland] • 5 complex, 1 hydroskimming refinery in England • 2 complex refineries in Wales • UK refining capacity is 4th largest in Europe • UK refinery throughput in 2007 was 82 million tonnes • Sulphur dioxide emissions from UK refineries in 2006 were around 75 kilotonnes • Over past 20 years significant use of the light & sweet North Sea crudes, but what about the future?

  4. Some key issues for refineries PPC: • Refinery crude feedstock slates changing? • Some inconsistencies in existing refinery IPC authorisations • Agency seeking significant reductions in sulphur dioxide releases by 2015 • Protect air quality • Refiners requested some flexibility to allow changes to operations as necessary • U.K. refineries are mature

  5. Some PPC permit outcomes • Improvement programmes • All refinery PPC permits have extensive improvement programmes, some with more than 40 improvement conditions • Improved monitoring • Bubble methodology & limit allows some flexibility of operations whilst protecting local air quality, but requires good monitoring and control systems to be in place • Improved sulphur recovery efficiency • Most refineries are to improve their efficiency and or plant reliability • Sulphur dioxide releases will be cut • From over 70 kilotonnes in 2006 to 44 kilotonnes by end of 2015 • Significantly greater consistency in all refinery permits • Achieved by having a refinery permitting team and use of permit templates

  6. Brefs, BAT, guidances & other info • The Refineries Bref • The U.K. uses the Bref. Some concern on the wide ranges of emissions performance in Brefs • U.K. Sector / Technical Guidance Notes • We produce guidance notes which are used by refinery operators and our staff. The Bref is a major reference source for our guidance note, which is shorter. • Each application is assessed against indicative BAT • Installation specific issues are taken into account such as local air quality, plant age, crudes processed, refinery complexity. • Other Brefs • The Large Combustion Plant Bref and the Economics and Cross Media Bref were two key sources also used in the PPC permit determination process. • Sources of useful information • Pollution Inventory. Trade bodies and associations.

  7. Compliance phase comments • We are at an early stage • The permits were only issued in 2007. • A significant number of improvement conditions are to be in the early years.Some major investment needed to meet some conditions. • Fitting some major improvement programme work to Inspection and Turnaround cycles • Some major improvement work takes significant planning and can mean that installation work can only happen when an I & T occurs (i.e. during a planned shutdown). • The modern regulation agenda • Protecting the environment, but reducing the regulatory burden on industry. (e.g. a simple example is reduced reporting frequencies)

  8. Contact details: • Roy Caughlin Technical Adviser Environment Agency U.K. • E-mail: roy.caughlin@environment-agency.gov.uk • Telephone: (0044) 1792 325547

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