(BAT) Reference Document for the Production of Chlor-alkali ...
(BAT) Reference Document for the Production of Chlor-alkali ...
(BAT) Reference Document for the Production of Chlor-alkali ...
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Chapter 4<br />
Table 4.2: Data from <strong>the</strong> conversion <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Borregaard chlor-<strong>alkali</strong> plant to <strong>the</strong> membrane<br />
cell technique technology<br />
Context <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> old production units:<br />
cell room built in 1949: 3 floors, 122 cells;<br />
mercury air emissions to air: 1.4 g/tonne chlorine capacity;<br />
mercury water emissions to water (water ion exchange process): 0.25 g/tonne chlorine capacity.<br />
Driving <strong>for</strong>ces <strong>for</strong> conversion:<br />
demand from <strong>the</strong> Norwegian authorities to switch to a mercury-free technique process;<br />
demand <strong>for</strong> higher production <strong>of</strong> sodium hydroxide and wish to lower operating costs.<br />
The conversion:<br />
decision made to convert: autumn 1995;<br />
conversion carried out: autumn 1997;<br />
shutdown time: 7 weeks.<br />
Characteristics <strong>of</strong> new plant:<br />
chlorine capacity 40 kt/yr 40000 tonnes Cl2 capacity/year at 4.35 kA/m 2 ;<br />
supplier: Asahi Glass Co. Ltd. Japan<br />
engineering: Krebs-Swiss<br />
electrolyser: AZEC-B1 bipolar, 4 electrolysers, each 75 cells, 4.35 kA/m 2 ;<br />
membrane area: 2.88 m 2 per cell.<br />
membrane: Flemion 893<br />
Reused equipment:<br />
rectifiers;<br />
hydrogen treatment and HCl production units;<br />
chlorine compression and liquefaction section and compression.<br />
New equipment:<br />
cell room <strong>for</strong> electrolysers: <strong>the</strong> existing building was considered old and mercury-contaminated;<br />
electrolysis section;<br />
brine circuit: brine filtration unit, ion exchange unit, brine dechlorination unit;<br />
sodium hydroxide recirculation concentration unit and evaporation system;<br />
chlorine gas drying unit and chlorine gas absorption unit;<br />
power supply and wiring (excluding rectifiers);<br />
pumps, instruments and piping.<br />
Cost <strong>of</strong> conversion:<br />
Total cost <strong>of</strong> conversion was about NOK 210 million NOK (EUR 26.6 million euros in October<br />
1997) corresponding to about EUR 665 euros/tonne chlorine capacity. This figure includes<br />
EUR 2.4 million euros <strong>for</strong> <strong>the</strong> clean-up <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> old plant and <strong>the</strong> storage <strong>of</strong> mercury-contaminated<br />
waste but excludes <strong>the</strong> clean-up <strong>of</strong> soil pollution.<br />
Economic benefits:<br />
electricity: 30 % reduced per tonne 100 % NaOH produced;<br />
personnel: 25 % reduced;<br />
some mercury sold <strong>for</strong> batteries, instruments and to mercury cell chlor-<strong>alkali</strong> plants;<br />
return on investment: five 5 years (depending on <strong>the</strong> caustic market).<br />
WORKING DRAFT IN PROGRESS<br />
Decommissioning:<br />
no clean-up <strong>of</strong> mercury-contaminated soil;<br />
monitoring <strong>of</strong> mercury emissions to air from old cell room;<br />
construction <strong>of</strong> a sealed disposal facility <strong>for</strong> mercury-contaminated wastes: building volume<br />
1800 m 3 , 3 special membranes with sand filter seals in between. The bunker is ventilated and <strong>the</strong><br />
vented air led through a carbon filter. The majority <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> wastes (about 55 %) was mercurycontaminated<br />
process equipment (steel and rubberlined steel);<br />
95 tonnes <strong>of</strong> mercury drained from <strong>the</strong> cells.<br />
Source: [ 227, de Flon 1998 ][de Flon, 1998]<br />
TB/EIPPCB/CAK_Draft_1 December 2011 151