Measurement, calculation, dispersion modelling and assessment of emissions and ambient air quality

Solvent Regulation - Solvent Management Plan

By the »Directive on the control of volatile organic compounds when using organic solvents (31. BImSchV)«, the European Solvent Emissions Directive (RL 1999/13/EG) was transposed into German law.
The directive concerns the erection and operation of plants listed in Appendix I, in which activities are carried out by applying organic solvents according to Appendix II with the solvent consumptions exceeding the threshold values listed in Appendix I. In this case, the respective plants are covered by the 31. BImSchV, independent on whether the plants are subject to approval or not.
With regard to plants with activities carried out in several plant units, process steps, or auxiliary devices, the sum of the respective partial solvent consumptions is relevant for the solvent consumption according to Sentence 1.

The requirements of the 31. BImSchV are subdivided into general and special requirements. The general requirements include questions on the harmfulness of substances or mixtures applied, the resulting substitution principle, and emission limitations for certain harmful volatile organic compounds. The special requirements include the additional plant-specific emission limitations for captured waste gases, for limit values of diffuse emissions and the total emission of a plant. Furthermore, according to the special requirements on plants requiring an authorisation, these plants have to be operated according to the state of the art.

The experts of Müller-BBM Industry Solutions GmbH support you with

  • the installation and operation descriptions with respective documentation
  • the assessment of the substances and mixtures applied with respect to their classification as volatile organic compounds according to the definition of the 31. BImSchV and with respect to possible substitution principles
  • verification of compliance with the emission limits by emission measurements
  • verification of compliance with the limit values by solvent balances
  • verification of compliance with the state of the art

Beyond the above list, our experts offer their know-how for the evaluation of a reduction scheme according to § 5 para 7 of the 31. BImSchV in case individual requirements cannot be met.

The reduction scheme contains at least

  • presentation of the current state of the plant and its actual emission behaviour
  • calculation of the achieved target emission
  • type of measures intended and proof of compliance

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