Tata Steel Netherlands (TSN) will accelerate its package of measures to reduce emissions. The steel giant is investing an additional €300 million for this purpose. This should lead to a decrease in odour load and less dust precipitation in two years.
The Roadmap Plus package of measures - with 300 million extra investment - leads to a reduction in odour load of around 85 per cent in two years. It also expects a reduction in dust precipitation in the vicinity of the steel plant of about 65 per cent. Tata Steel Netherlands (TSN) will complete the projects by 2023. The exception is the DeNOx and dedusting plant. This will start operating in 2025.
Wishes of external parties
With the Roadmap Plus, TSN announced in December to intensify its actions. Further analysis and elaboration says more about the expected results. The package of measures will lead to a reduction in odour, dust and noise nuisance by 2023. TSN thus meets the wishes of local residents, the province and other stakeholders.
Impact of measures
"We take the concerns of our neighbours very seriously," says Hans van den Berg, Board Chairman of Tata Steel Nederland. "We continuously take measures against nuisance and two years ago bundled them under the 'Roadmap' project. With the Roadmap Plus, we are moving at an accelerated pace towards a better living environment. We are doing this through additional measures and investments. But also through maximum acceleration of the environmental projects from the 2019 Roadmap. The plan clearly shows the impact of the measures on improving the living environment. It is good that we can now also announce those concrete results. The impact of the efforts is great."
Measures against dust dispersion
The Roadmap Plus sets out new measures to tackle dust dispersion. One key measure relates to reducing visible dust. This is achieved by minimising dust dispersion at storage areas and during transfer onto conveyor belts in the raw materials area. TSN is doing this by erecting dust screens. Enclosing the blast furnace bunkers and the raw material feed lines leading to them also contributes to this. Enclosing the cooling process for converter slag also makes a significant contribution. By 2023, TSN expects this to reduce dust deposition in the immediate vicinity by approximately 65 per cent compared with 2021.
Measures against odour nuisance
The odour sources with a major impact on the surrounding area are Cooking and Gas Plant 2 (KGF2), the dryer installation at the Steel Plant and Pickling Line 22 at the Cold Rolling Mill. Besides accelerating all odour measures to the maximum, TSN is taking additional measures within the Roadmap Plus. For instance, the company will realise accelerated improvements at KGF2. These include modifications to the mechanical seal and lowering the furnace pressure of the 108 cooking chambers. These projects have already started. Another new measure in tackling odour is the installation of a new vapour scrubber at Beitsbaan 22. Through the total package of odour measures, Tata Steel expects a reduction in odour levels for the immediate residential area to around 85 per cent by 2023.
DeNOx and other measures
A major project within the Roadmap Plus is the realisation of a DeNOx and dedusting plant at the Pellet Plant, which will significantly reduce emissions. Besides reducing nitrogen oxides by around 30 per cent (NOx), 35 per cent less particulate matter and 55 per cent less heavy metals will also be emitted. The project involves an investment of €150 million.
Substances of very high concern
Through various measures against emissions of Substances of Very High Concern (ZZS), TSN will also achieve a reduction of around 30 per cent in emissions of Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH) by 2023. Annual reports show that for all measured ZZS, air quality is well below European and Dutch legal standards. This is also the case for particulate matter.
Source and image: Tata Steel
