The Industrial Emissions Directive (IED), in force since January 2011 aims to minimise pollution from various industrial sources throughout the EU. Operators of industrial installations targeted by the directive – some 50,000 in total – have to obtain a permit from the authorities.
The permit takes into account the whole environmental performance of the plant, including emissions, waste generation, raw material use and other aspects.
Defining the Best Available Techniques (BATs)
The permit conditions under the current directives and the IED are based on defining the Best Available Techniques (BAT). These are state-of-the-art techniques that can be used to achieve a high level of environmental protection as a whole.
They can be implemented in the relevant sector under economically and technically viable conditions, taking into account their costs and benefits.
Setting these standards – mainly defining the Emission Limit Values (ELV) for environmental permits – requires input from operators, authorities and other stakeholders. ISOPA is an active contributor to the information exchange needed to elaborate the Best Available Techniques Reference (BREF) documents pertaining to MDI and TDI in a transparent way.
The best way to ensure that the IED contributes to comprehensive environmental protection is to adopt a comprehensive approach that considers both environmental and socio-economic aspects.
Good data collection and collaboration are key to the success of the process.