Waste Gas from Chemicals (WGC) BREF Update

ESA is actively engaged with progress with the WGC BREF which held its kick off technical review meeting in Seville, Spain from 25^th to 29^th September 2017. The kick off meeting agreed 26 processes and has added for the first time in a BREF, diffuse fugitive emissions (other than those planned to be flared or sent to flues).

A first for ESA

This gave ESA a real opportunity to input technical sealing information and following a telephone consultation with senior members of the WGC working group, which was arranged by the Government Affairs Group, the ESA document on diffuse fugitive emissions has been accepted as a reference document. This means it has been loaded onto the Best Available Technology Information System (BATIS) for the WGC BREF. A first for ESA.

Many site visits were made in Spain, Portugal, Belgium and the Netherlands to assess the size of the problem with fugitive emissions.

The timetable is now for the final workshop to be held in 2^nd Quarter 2019, with the 1^st draft to be issued in 4^th quarter 2019. We still need to finalise the ESA document on Fugitive Emissions Reduction as soon as possible.

David Mitchell, Standards and Legislation Director

Read also other parts of the Standards and Legislation report:

• Drinking Water Regulations Updates
• USA Trade Tariffs – The ESA’s Understanding of the Current Situation
• ESA’s Update on Brexit
• Still No Progress on the Environmental Goods Act (EGA)
• No Rewrite of the Pressure Equipment Directive (PED) Underway