The 2023 Industrial Air Pollution Standards

This session will help factory managers understand the direction in which air pollution control is headed and avoid environmental penalties.

Why should businesses pay attention to the new standards?

Lately, many factory owners have been asking, "With the environmental inspections getting stricter, what's changed?" The answer lies in the industrial emissions standards, which were revised in 2003.The latest revision not only covers the traditional high-polluting industries of steel and chemicals, but also includes "cold" industries such as printing and furniture making.The most serious problem is that some of the allowable levels for pollutants have been cut in half. For example, the allowable concentration of VOCs (volatile organic compounds) has been reduced from 80 to 40 mg / m3.

What are the key changes in the new standard?

The scope of the regulations has been expanded, so even small factories will have to comply.

In the past, small and medium-sized enterprises could breathe a sigh of relief. But this year the standards have been tightened to require 24-hour online monitoring of all plants with annual production of over 500 tons.One of my customers who does spray painting told me that his plant, which employs just 30 people, has to install a monitoring system costing NT $ 100,000.

As the emission standards become stricter, technology must keep pace.

As a specific example, the limit for nitrogen oxide emissions from coal-fired boilers has been reduced from 150 mg / m3 to 100 mg / m3.Zhang, general manager of a coal-fired power plant in Shandong Province, says that they spent over NT $ 2 million on a device to remove nitrogen oxides from their emissions, but that compared to the hundreds of thousands of dollars that a fine would cost, it was money well spent.

Testing frequency doubled, and records must be precise.

Now environmental protection departments require key enterprises to conduct monthly self-inspections and submit quarterly reports.Last week when I was helping a factory in Dongguan to sort out its accounts, I discovered that their records of emissions from their workshop were incomplete. If this is discovered during an inspection, a notice to make improvements will be issued immediately.

How can companies respond without stepping on a landmine?

First do a complete physical exam; don't rush to buy equipment.

He suggests that owners first have a third party do a second emissions test, to see if the car really is over the limit.A chemical plant in Suzhou originally planned to spend NT $ 3 million upgrading its facilities, but after testing it discovered that it could meet its goals by simply adjusting its parameters, saving a large sum of money.

The choice of technology depends on the cost-benefit ratio.

Not every company needs the most expensive RTO incinerator.For low-concentration exhausts, such as those from spray booths, it may be more cost-effective to use activated charcoal adsorption in combination with catalytic combustion.Of our Zhejiang clients in recent times, 60 % have chosen the combined process, which reduces operating costs by around 30 % compared to the single process.

Training our own environmental experts.

Environmental regulations are changing quickly, and it is suggested that a specialist be designated to monitor the changes.A car parts factory in Hangzhou has a production manager who is also in charge of environmental protection. Every year the company saves several hundred thousand NT dollars in consulting fees, and can adjust its production plans in a timely manner.

Preparing for the future.

When I had a meal with a friend at the Environmental Protection Bureau, I heard that the next step may be to promote a system of tradable pollution rights.This means that emission quotas will become a kind of currency. The lower the emission quota a company has now, the more valuable it will be in the future.I suggest that everyone take advantage of the new standards just being implemented to make early plans to make the necessary changes, so they won't be caught unprepared when the surprise inspections start.(Chang Hsuan / photos by Huang Chung-hua / tr.