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National Environmental Management: Air Quality Act, 2004 (Act No. 39 of 2004)

Notices

List of Activities which result in atmospheric emissions which have or may have a significant deterimental effect on the environment, including health, social conditions, economic conditions, ecological conditions or cultural heritage

Category 3: Carbonization and Coal Gasification

 

Category 3: Carbonization and Coal Gasification

 

(1) Subcategory 3.1: Combustion Installations

 

Description:

Combustion installations used primarily for steam raising or electricity generation (furnaces and heaters).

Application:

All refinery furnaces and heaters.

Substance or mixture of substances

Plant status

mg/Nm3 under normal conditions of 10% O2, 273 Kelvin and 101.3kPa.

Common name

Chemical symbol

Particulate matter

N/A

New

50

Existing

100

Oxides of nitrogen

NOx expressed as NO2

New

700

Existing

2000

Total volatile organic compounds (from non-coke oven operations)

N/A

New

40

Existing

90

 

(a)        The following special arrangements shall apply—

 

(i) Sulphur-containing compounds to be recovered from gases to be used for combustion with a recovery efficiency of not less than 90% or remaining content of inorganic sulphur-containing compounds to be less than 1000 mg/Nm3 measured as hydrogen sulphide, whichever is strictest.
(ii) Where co-feeding with waste materials with calorific value allowed in terms of the Waste Disposal Standards published in terms of the Waste Act, 2008 (Act No.59 of 2008) occurs, additional requirements under subcategory 1.6 shall apply.
(iii) Additional requirements under subcategory 1.6 shall continue to apply even after the waste ceases to be waste in terms of section 1 of the National Environmental Management: Waste Act, 2008 (Act No. 59 of 2008), as amended by the National Environmental Management: Waste Amendment Act, 2014 (Act No. 26 of 2014).

[Category 3(1)(3.1)(a)(iii) inserted by section 3(a) of Notice No. 551, GG38863, dated 12 June 2015]

 

(2) Subcategory 3.2: Coke Production

 

Description:

Coke production and by-product recovery.

Application:

All installations

Substance or mixture of substances

Plant status

mg/Nm3 under normal conditions of

273 Kelvin and 101.3kPa.

Common name

Chemical symbol

Hydrogen sulphide

H2S

New

7(i)

Existing

10(i)

Notes:

(i) from point source

 

(3) Subcategory 3.3: Tar Processes

 

Description:

Processes in which tar, creosote or any other product of distillation of tar is distilled or is heated in any manufacturing process.

Application:

All installations

Substance or mixture of substances

Plant status

mg/Nm3 under normal conditions of 10% O2, 273 Kelvin and 101.3kPa.

Common name

Chemical symbol

Total Volatile Organic Compounds

N/A

New

130

Existing

250

 

(a) The following transitional arrangement shall apply for the storage and handling of raw materials, intermediate and final products with a vapour pressure greater than 14kPa at operating temperature:—

Leak detection and repair (LDAR) program approved by licensing authority to be instituted, by 01 January 2014.

(b) The following special arrangements shall apply for control of TVOCs from storage of raw materials, intermediate and final products with a vapour pressure of up to 14kPa at operating temperature, except during loading and offloading. (Alternative control measures that can achieve the same or better results may be used)—

 

(i) Storage vessels for liquids shall be of the following type:

 

Application

All permanent immobile liquid storage facilities at a single site with a combined storage capacity of greater than 1000 cubic meters.

True vapour pressure of contents at

product storage temperature

Type of tank or vessel

Type 1: Up to 14 kPa

Fixed-roof tank vented to atmosphere, or as per Type 2 and 3

Type 2: Above 14 kPa and up to 91 kPa with a throughput of less than 50'000 m3 per annum

Fixed-roof tank with  Pressure Vacuum Vents fitted as a minimum, to prevent "breathing" losses, or as per Type 3

Type 3: Above 14 kPa and up to 91 kPa with a throughput greater than 50'000 m3 per annum

(g) External floating-roof tank with primary rim seal and secondary rim seal for tank with a diameter greater than 20m, or

(h) fixed roof-tank with internal floating deck/roof fitted with primary seal, or

(i) fixed roof-tank with vapour recovery system.

Type 4: Above 91 kPa

Pressure vessel

 

(ii) The roof legs, slotted pipes and/or dipping well on floating roof tanks (except for domed floating roof tanks or internal floating roof tanks) shall have sleeves fitted to minimise emissions.
(iii) Relief valves on pressurised storage should undergo periodic checks for internal leaks. This can be carried out using portable acoustic monitors or if venting to atmosphere with an accessible open end, tested with a hydrocarbon analyser as part of an LDAR programme.

 

(c) The following special arrangements shall apply for control of TVOCs from the loading and unloading (excluding ships) of raw materials, intermediate and final products with a vapour pressure of greater than 14kPa at handling temperature. Alternative control measures that can achieve the same or better results may be used:

 

(i) All installations with a throughput of greater than 50'000 m3 per annum of products with a vapour pressure greater than 14 kPa, must be fitted with vapour recovery/destruction units. Emission limits are set out in the table below—

 

Description:

Vapour Recovery Units

Application:

All loading/offloading facilities with a throughput greater than 50 000 m3

Substance or mixture of substances

Plant status

mg/Nm3 under normal conditions of

273 Kelvin and 101.3kPa.

Common name

Chemical symbol

Total volatile organic  compounds from  vapour recovery/destruction units using thermal treatment.

N/A

New

150

Existing

150

Total volatile organic compounds from vapour recovery/destruction units using non-thermal treatment.

N/A

New

40 000

Existing

40 000

 

(ii) For road tanker and rail car loading/offloading facilities where the throughput is less than 50'000 m3 per annum, and where ambient air quality is, or is likely to be impacted, all liquid products shall be loaded using bottom loading, or equivalent, with the venting pipe connected to a vapour balancing system. Where vapour balancing and/or bottom loading is not possible, a recovery system utilizing adsorption, absorption, condensation or incineration of the remaining VOC's, with a collection efficiency of at least 95%, shall be fitted.

 

(4) Subcategory 3.4: Char, Charcoal and Carbon Black Production

 

Description:

Production of char, charcoal and the production and use of carbon black.

Application:

All installations producing more than 20 tons of char and charcoal per month.

All installations consuming more than 20 tons per month of carbon black in any processes.

Substance or mixture of substances

Plant status

mg/Nm3 under normal conditions of

273 Kelvin and 101.3kPa.

Common name

Chemical symbol

Particulate matter

N/A

New

50

Existing

100

Poly Aromatic Hydrocarbons

PAH

New

0.1

Existing

0.5

[Category 3(4)(3.4) substituted by section 3(b) of Notice No. 551, GG38863, dated 12 June 2015]

 

(5) Subcategory 3.5: Electrode Paste Production

 

Description:

Electrode paste production.

Application:

All installations.

Substance or mixture of substances

Plant

status

mg/Nm3 under normal conditions of

273 Kelvin and 101.3kPa.

Common name

Chemical symbol

Particulate matter

N/A

New

50

Existing

100

 

(6) Subcategory 3.6: Synthetic Gas Production and Cleanup

 

Description:

The production and clean-up of a gaseous stream derived from coal gasification and includes gasification, separation and clean up of a raw gas stream through a process that involves sulphur removal and Rectisol as well as the stripping of a liquid tar stream derived from the gasification process.

Application:

All installations.

Substance or mixture of substances

Plant status

mg/Nm3 under normal conditions of 273 Kelvin and 101.3kPa.

Common name

Chemical symbol

Hydrogen Sulphide

H2S

New

3 500

Existing

4 200

Total Volatile

Organic Compounds

N/A

New

130

Existing

250

Sulphur dioxide

SO2

New

500

Existing

3500