AirProtekt removes NOx and HCN from Scottish carbon fibre plant stack
UK-based Air Pollution Control specialist, AirProtekt, has installed and commissioned a combined Regenerative Thermal Oxidation (RTO) system and a Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system to remove oxides of nitrogen and other gaseous contaminants, such as hydrogen cyanide (HCN), from SGL Carbon Fibers’ manufacturing facility in Muir of Ord, in the north of Scotland.
SGL Carbon Fibers is a subsidiary of German based SGL Group and the Scottish manufacturing site produces carbon fibre for use in a variety of engineering applications including items such as wind power turbine blades, computer hard disks, aircraft and car brakes which are exported to 27 countries around the world.
As part of a major multi million pound investment SGL Carbon Fibers has upgraded the production capacity of its Scottish carbon fibre manufacturing facility with the addition of two new production lines. To assist in handling the additional emissions, including fugitives from the upgraded facility, A third Regenerative Thermal Oxidation (RTO) system in combination with a new Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) system will treat and remove pollutants such as oxides of nitrogen and hydrogen cyanide.
Chemical reactions during the heating process generate exhaust gases of oxides of nitrogen, hydrogen cyanide, ammonia, carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and volatile organic compounds (VOCs).
The exhaust gases are extracted using Regenerative Thermal Oxidation (RTO) systems that reduce the levels of the contaminants prior to discharge through stacks, which are the main point sources of emissions from the carbon fibre manufacturing process. The new, combined RTO and SCR system was developed, engineered and installed by AirProtekt and Lufttechnik Bayreuth (LTB) to free capacity on one of the older RTO systems, improving the capture of fugitive gases from one of the manufacturing units, and helping to address overall control of the release of odorous emissions from the Muir of Ord facility.
AirProtekt and LTB’s engineering team tailored the combined RTO and SCR system to comply with SGL Carbon Fibers’ specific emission regulation requirements. The solution was required to allow the Muir of Ord facility to comply with the emission limit values specified in its operating permit granted by the local environmental authority, SEPA.