NOXCONF 2001

Introduction

Nitrogen oxides (NOx - N2O) remain major pollutants strongly involved in the main atmospheric pollution problems : photochemical pollution, acid rain, the greenhouse effect and ozone layer depletion. It is therefore not surprising that the nitrogen oxide compounds are currently the subject of particular attention in national and international regulatory bodies.

A more restrictive regulatory context

Demands set forth by several recent or ongoing international agreements (Kyoto protocol, EC directives, ECE Gothenburg protocol), will require European and other countries to make serious efforts to reduce air pollutants in the coming decade

The European Council directive entitled IPPC " Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control ", setting a 2007 deadline for new and existing plants to elaborate environmental permits based on performances of Best Available Techniques (BAT), will constitute without doubt one of the main forces for progress in terms of industrial sources.

The need for continuous knowledge exchange

This new regulatory approach together with the urge to address one associated important greenhouse gas (N2O) have led ADEME and InfoMil to organise an international conference "NOXCONF 2001" presenting NOx and N2O abatement techniques for the main sectors covered by the IPPC directive.

The conference objectives are served by three major topics, i.e.:

• Information on recent or ongoing developments in the international framework (European directives, Kyoto Protocol, etc.). The IPPC directive, its process to define best available techniques and practical implications for facilities concerned will be a central topic of this part of the program.
• Information regarding state of the art concerning control techniques through recent achievements by reference plants or sector programs.
• Highlighting of emerging techniques and ongoing research programs.

NOXCONF 2001 will show that many techniques can be used for NOx-N2O emission abatement. Continuous knowledge exchange on the ongoing state-of-the-art and new developments is important for the shaping of justified regulations that aim at emission reduction on both local and (inter) national level.

More than 60 speakers from all over the world

Officials from the EC-DG XI, the EIPPC bureau and the organising countries will present introductory notes in relationship with the framework of this conference. Parallel technical sessions will give the opportunity to a large number of experts, working in the field of NOx-N2O abatement techniques to share their experience and their knowledge with the conference participants.

Contributions will be presented by more than 60 authors coming from many countries like France, The Netherlands, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Belgium, Denmark, UK, USA and Japan.
Presentations will include works in the field of chemical industry, oil refineries, cement industry, glass industry, waste incineration, nitric acid production, ferro and non-ferro industry, boilers, power plants and co-generation plants.

A complete overview of reduction techniques

State-of-the-art concerning existing techniques, emerging technologies or ongoing developments will include add-on techniques, e.g. catalytic removal, Reburning, SNCR or thermal waste-gas treatment processes, as well as in-process techniques such as low-NOx combustion technology, oxyfiring, etc…

NOXCONF 2001 will give a significant place to advanced technologies and new developments, e.g. combined technologies (NOx-N2O, NOx-dioxines,…), ultra-low-NOx burners, Reburning technology, catalytic combustion, "single-digit" developments.

Proceedings

The current proceedings present these different works carried out in the field of NOx-N2O abatement techniques. They have been elaborated on the bases of written contributions sent by the speakers.