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

Chapter 3
Almost all available data concerning emissions of mercury from mercury cell chlor-alkali plants
are provided by industry. These data are widely accepted by national authorities and
international organisations such as OSPAR and UNEP. Independent measurements of mercury
emissions only rarely conducted, which is to a large extent due to their complexity.
One example is the EU-funded project EMECAP which in 2002/2003 performed a total of six
weekly measurement campaigns at three mercury cell chlor-alkali plants: the AkzoNobel plant
in Bohus (Sweden), chlorine capacity 100 kt/yr; the Solvay plant in Rosignano (Italy), chlorine
capacity 125 kt/yr; and the Zaklady Azotowe plant in Tarnów (Poland), chlorine capacity
43 kt/yr (plant capacities as reported by [ 107, Euro Chlor 2006 ]). The study showed large
differences in the mercury emissions to air measured in winter or summer and at the different
plants. Moreover, mercury emissions were found to be strongly dependent on the wind speed.
The average values for total mercury emissions to air ranged from 6 g/h during the winter
campaign at the Swedish plant to 54 g/h during the summer campaign at the Italian plant [ 100,
Grönlund et al. 2005 ], [ 102, EMECAP 2004 ]. The emissions are summarised in Table 3.24
and compared to data provided by Euro Chlor.
WORKING DRAFT IN PROGRESS
106 December 2011 TB/EIPPCB/CAK_Draft_1