La gestione integrata delle emissioni di NOx e SO2 in atmosfera nelle raffinerie italiane. Analisi comparata preliminare dei nuovi scenari emissivi adeguati alla Decisione 2014/738/UE.

The reconsideration of the IPPC permit conditions for the Italian oil and gas refineries, carried out by the Italian Ministry for the Environment and the Protection of Land and Sea, pursuant to Directive 2010/75/EU (IED) led, in particular, to emission limit values (ELVs) ensuring that, under normal operating conditions, emissions do not exceed the emission levels associated with the best available techniques (BAT-AELs) set out in the EC Implementing Decision 2014/738 (BAT conclusions for the refining of mineral oil and gas). In this context, indeed, the revised IED permits contain the "bubble" emission limit value, i.e. weighted average value of emissions into the air coming from the main units of the refinery, as defined in BAT n. 57 and BAT n. 58 of the above mentioned BAT Conclusions, for the integrated emission management of NOx and SO2 emissions, in order to ensure the compliance with the pertaining new, ambitious BAT associated emission levels. In addition to the "bubble" EVLs for the NOx and SO2 expressed in concentration the new permits set also annual NOx and SO2 "bubble" limit values in total load, i.e. maximum mass of pollutant releases admitted (tons per year); both conditions resulted in significantly lower values than those permitted under the previous IPPC legal framework. Comparing the IED authorized total emission scenarios, associated with the application of the revised EVLs, with the previous IPPC emission scenarios, it would be possible to quantify the actual benefit obtained in terms of reduction of the total emissions of NOx and SO2 parameters from the Italian refining sites.