Advanced Pollution Control Systems for Petrochemical Plants, Refineries in Iran

"Petrochemical plants have constructive cooperation with DOE as they have taken practical measures to deal with the growing menace of air pollution, one of which is installing the new online system," Shina Ansari was quoted as saying by NIPNA, the National Petrochemical Company's official news agency, on Wednesday.

Highlighting the importance of real-time reporting of contaminating indices in heavy industries, Ansari said online systems are crucial in today's industrial landscape because of tighter compliance with superior environmental standards.

According to the official, plans call for providing petrochemical and refining units with financial incentives to adopt the scheme and those who conform to DOE environmental regulations will be eligible for value-added tax exemptions.

On the other hand, she said, "As per a government directive, should industries not uphold environmental protection regulations, they will face higher tax rates."

Unlike traditional lab systems which force experts to be physically present in the factory, online data processing systems enable the DOE to measure and analyze the level of noxious waste, such as nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon dioxide and sulfur at any moment from a long distance.

The government has instructed power plants and refineries to use gas instead of polluting feedstock such as mazut due to the abundance of gas reserves and the rise in South Pars Gas Field output in the Persian Gulf.

According to Ansari, over 1,830 large-scale industrial units, including petrochemical and power plants, top the priority list to be equipped with the advanced system.

"The system is mainly installed in chimneys as well as sewage collection networks," she said, adding that currently the processing is carried out periodically. Yet as soon as DOE approves the data sent from petrochemical factories, the processing will be done on a regular basis.

She said industrial complexes that continue to operate without the pollution monitoring system should carry out the screening process and submit their reports to DOE.

  Practical Measures

According to Saeed Motesadi, deputy head of DOE, reducing the supply of highly polluting fuels, notably mazut and diesel, to industries has been the government's most practical measure to curb  air pollution.

Regarding the concerted efforts to curb mazut consumption as feedstock in power plants by the end of the current fiscal (March  2018), Motesadi said 220 online pollution control systems have already been installed at major power plants.

"Power plants are shifting to the use of natural gas and away from the polluting fuels," he said.

Referring to eco-friendly initiatives to curb the consumption of low-quality fuel in power generation, Motesadi said the development of online systems in industrial units is one of the effective means of curbing air pollution.

"Once the system is installed, industries will be obliged to comply with environmental standards round the clock. In case the system faces a technical problem, the whole industrial unit should shut down until the defect is found and addressed.”