“Municipal waste is seeing an increase, which is fast becoming a growing problem for local authorities.”
The BACKGROUND
Municipal waste is year on year, seeing an increase, which is fast becoming a growing problem for local authorities. This, in turn, has led to more stringent legislation being put into place.
In the UK, incineration plants are regulated by the industrial emissions directive (IED). The objective of the IED is to minimise the impact from emissions to air, soil, surface and groundwater as a result of the incineration of waste. In particular, the IED focuses on gas emissions of; sulphur dioxide SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx), hydrogen chloride (HCl), total organic compounds (TOC’s) and carbon monoxide (CO).
The CHALLENGE
The Isles of Scilly are a group of islands 28 miles west of Lands End in Cornwall. There are 5 main islands that are inhabited with a total indigenous population of around 2200. The main industry is tourism and the population can double within the tourist season which tends to span from April to October.
The council of the Isles of Scilly is a unitary authority that is responsible for nearly all public services for the islands. One of its main responsibilities is that of waste management, and to fulfil the fundamental need to deal with this, the authority owns and operates a municipal waste incinerator plant. The installation has a reciprocating grate and can process up to 0.5 tonnes an hour.
With the introduction of the IED and subsequent requirement for emission monitoring, the authority was under an obligation, within the requirements of its permit to operate from the Environment Agency, to have a continuous emission monitoring system (CEMS) installed.
The SOLUTION
a1-cbiss installed a CEMS at the St Marys incinerator plant. The a1-cbiss installation team arrived on-site to install the CEMS, the whole installation was installed within 5 days to a high standard and without the use of subcontractors. The CEMS installed compromised of; the MCERTS accredited MIR 9000, an infrared multigas analyser which measures HCl, SO2, NO, CO and O2, the Graphite 52m was added to provide the total VOC measurement. To complete the CEMS suite, the QAL 991 was used for the particulate monitoring.
In addition to providing the equipment, a1-cbiss were also able to provide a complete software package (CDAS) for both the continuous monitoring and for the creation of all reporting documents for the EA, Defra and the general public. The a1-cbiss software support can access the system remotely and can make operational changes to the monitoring system or advise/direct the plant operatives if required. The MCERT accredited software from a1-cbiss provides full EN14181 compliance whilst still ensuring the analysers are working as intended and the operating range stays as a constant.
The a1-cbiss service offering is based on a fully inclusive approach, specialising in design manufacture and integration. All initial training for operating this by the plant operatives was undertaken by a1-cbiss and in a thorough and complete manner. This and the installation were acknowledged by the authority and more importantly, the E.A, as being fully compliant.
a1-cbiss provide the full of support of the industry’s largest service network across the UK, providing tailored after-care solutions and 24/7 regional support. The service contract provided by a1-cbiss uses over 20 years knowledge and experience to maximise your investment and resolve requirements with minimum downtime.
What did the client say?
“We have maintained a service contract with a1-cbiss for this installation. Even though we are remote, being by position “overseas”, we have never had to wait more than 36 hours for a service engineer to attend (if required) to rectify a problem. Our experience of the software is that it has been directed with clear instruction and direction, in a precise, friendly and non-patronising manner. All in all, this is a complete installation and support package that works. As the senior operator, I would say, it could almost be left to its own devices. It is both reassuring and gratifying that we have the excellent support and service of a1-cbiss. The support given has been exemplary”.
