Understanding CDM Methodologies - SuSanA

Industrial Gas
Methodologies
5.3 Decomposition of industrial gases HFC-23 and N 2
O
5.3.1 Methodologies analyzed
Large Scale
Large Scale
Large Scale
AM0001 (version 5) “Incineration of HFC waste streams”
AM0021 (version 1) “Baseline methodology for decomposition
of N2O emissions from existing adipic acid production plants”
AM0034 (version 2) “Catalytic reduction of N2O inside the
burner of nitric acid plants”
5.3.2 Basic concept
Chemical
Production
releases strong
Greenhouse Gases
Emissions
Reduction
through thermal
Decomposition
All three methodologies deal with the “end-of-pipe” decomposition of
industrial gases HFC-23 (Fluoroform) or N 2
O (Nitrous oxide). The gases are
un-wanted by-products from production plants of the chemical industry and
have a very high Global Warming Potential (1t N 2
O = 310 t CO 2
eq. and HFC-
23 = 11,700 t CO 2
eq.). This makes decomposition of such gases the most
attractive CDM projects in the market with costs of CER generation ranging
from 0.1 – 0.5 €/CER.
All three methodologies assume that in the absence of the CDM project,
HFC-23/ N 2
O emissions would have been released to the atmosphere via the
stack of the plant. Therefore, the common and most important rationale of
the methodologies is that emission reductions are the difference between
the emissions of the gas from the plant before (baseline emissions) and after
implementation of the decomposition facility (project emissions) and adjusted
for potential indirect emissions due to the project.
ER y
= EF bl,y
X Prod bl,y
X GWP - PE y
- Leakage
Emission
Reductions
Basel
Emission
factor of
baseline
Baseline
amount of
industrial
gas
production
Global
warming
potential
of
industrial
gas
Direct
emissions of
the project
(e.g. fuel
combustion
or industrial
gas still
released)
Indirect
emissions
due to the
project
Methodologies
only applicable
for existing
Capacity
Baseline emissions (expressed in HFC-23 or N 2
O) are determined by
multiplying a historic emission factor (t HFC-23 or t N 2
O/ per t of HCFC-22
or adipic acid or nitric acid produced) with the amount of production of the
chemical product after installation of the destruction facility. The plant output
eligible for calculation of baseline emissions is capped at historic production
levels to ensure the environmental integrity of such CDM projects. For the
same reason, greenfield chemical production plants are not allowed to use
the approved methodologies (see Box 21).
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