Chemical Plant
Compliance to governmental environmental regulations is a major concern for any large industrial facility, yet minimizing the cost of compliance is important too. Meeting these regulations without adding significant maintenance costs is a big challenge, but can be achieved with a little focus.
EPA Greenhouse Gas Regulations
Government greenhouse gas (GHG) requirements state that utility providers and industrial users producing GHG emissions from burning fossil fuels or from chemical reactions, must measure and report fuel oil and natural gas burned or the GHG emissions from combustion and report other sources of GHG emissions. One key regulation requires sources emitting greater than 25,000 metric tons of CO2 or the equivalent (this threshold varies by location) to measure either the emissions or fuel burned and report quarterly.
Many companies attempt to use a combination of PD meters, orifice plates, and other flow meters to measure fuel oil and natural gas. Though, checking these dozens of meters on a regular basis to ensure they are meeting uncertainty requirements can leave a shortage of technical staff who are able to perform the required calibrations on each of the flow points. In the United States, for example, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires annual calibrations requiring the unit to be shut down, reducing production capacity and raising costs unnecessarily.
Emerson’s Micro Motion Coriolis flow meters offer another solution. Rather than hiring additional employees or suffering through operating interruptions, Micro Motion meters provide a dependable measurement with better accuracy than required. A whole new transparency is possible with Smart Meter Verification technology, allowing for easy reporting and verification that the measurement is still within the uncertainty tolerance without increasing staff or added downtime associated with removing the meter for calibration or inspection. Many agencies (including the EPA) have accepted Smart Meter Verification in lieu of calibration.
For more information on our solutions for the chemical industry, greenhouse gas emissions, and Smart Meter Verification, click here.
