(BAT) Reference Document for the Production of Chlor-alkali ...

Chapter 3
3.4.6.3 Emissions during accidents
Emissions from accidents are by nature discontinuous but may nevertheless contribute
significantly to the overall emissions of a chlor-alkali plant. Some examples of accidents on a
larger scale are listed below.
In 2009, a quantity of approximately … kg of chlorine was released due to a defective
gasket from a chlor-alkali plant in France [ 80, Engel 2011 ]. {Please TWG provide
more information.}
In 2004, a major accident occurred in the Netherlands during scheduled maintenance.
An infrared heater heated the liquid chlorine in an expansion pipe to more than 140 °C
causing a chlorine iron fire. Approximately 35 cm of the expansion pipe was burnt and
1500 l of liquid chlorine was released [ 81, eMARS 2011 ].
In 2002, a large flood in the Czech Republic led to the inundation of the emergency
retention sumps of a chlor-alkali plant, in which the liquid chlorine storage tanks were
located. The containers were lifted by the force of the floodwaters which led to a burst
in the piping and detachment of the tank socket. In total, 80.481 t of chlorine was
released to the air and water [ 81, eMARS 2011 ].
3.4.6.4 Emissions during decommissioning
{Please TWG provide information.}
3.4.7 Emissions of noise
Emissions of noise originate from equipment commonly used in the chemical sector and are
therefore not specific to the chlor-alkali manufacturing industry. The major sources of noise
emissions include the following [ 57, EIPPCB 2011 ]:
trucks for unloading and loading (e.g. salt);
transformers and rectifiers;
pumps (e.g. brine circuit, cooling water);
motors;
control valves;
punched disks;
fans (e.g. cell room ventilation, hydrogen emission);
compressors (e.g. chlorine, hydrogen, refrigerant);
centrifuges (e.g. caustic evaporation unit in the case of diaphragm cell plants);
cooling machines;
transport of media in pipelines and other systems without optimal dimensions;
transport on and near the site including railways;
cleaning of process equipment (e.g. mechanical cleaning of cells).
WORKING DRAFT IN PROGRESS
Reported noise emissions from chlor-alkali plants are shown in Table 3.21.
102 December 2011 TB/EIPPCB/CAK_Draft_1