United Nations Environment Programme - Stockholm Convention on ...

during the negotiations of the <strong>Stockholm</strong> <strong>Convention</strong>. A study tour of senior technical experts of the
Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ministry of <strong>Environment</strong> have recently visited a few sinter plants
in Europe that meets the requirements for BAT. Based on the information gathered in the study tour
visit a proposal is being prepared for the decision makers of the Ministries involved.
Questions for the Senior Technical Advisory Group:
2. Recognizing the importance of the national development plan to increase the competitiveness
of the economy, how would you recommend the Ministry of Trade and Industry and Ministry
of <strong>Environment</strong> address the following questions:
a. As the existing sinter plant does not meet the requirements for BAT, what changes/
improvements would be necessary?
b. Would the introduction of alternative processes instead of sintering make socioeconomic
and financial sense? Would you suggest a market study and an
environmental impact assessment study be made?
c. Does the environmentally sound waste management practices applied in current iron
and steel waste collection, processing and storage? If not, what measures should be
taken?
d. What type of national standards/limit values would need to be established for the
process performance and monitoring requirements for BAT?
Residential electricity supply plant/utility boilers. The electricity requirements of the residential
areas are provided by fossil fuel fired utilities of different capacities and types. Most of the industrial
boilers use crude oil and its distillation residues as fuel. Another part of the residue is used for
bitumen (asphalt) production by vacuum distillation process. During this process lubricating oils are
also produced. The capacity of the industrial boilers in the country is relatively small; it is less than
30 MW, with the exception of one that supplies electricity to the capital city that has the capacity of
50 MW. Alternative fuels are also used, such as used oil, tyres, waste plastics and wood and spent
solvents. The water supply for the steam production is taken from ground water sources of high
concentration of silica, calcium, aluminium and iron. The hardness of water creates of problems of
scaling and corrosion. To avoid this in most cases a simple chemical softening process is used. Most
of the utility boilers are small stoker fired furnaces, and some of the new, larger boilers are
tangentially fired. A very large number of smaller units are without any air pollution control device.
The larger and relatively new ones have been equipped with electrostatic precipitators. The estimated
release to air is about 35µ TEQ/TJ. PCDD/PCDF concentration in fly ash, bottom ash and soot have
not yet been measured or estimated. The bottom ash and slag as well as the collected fly ash and soot
is transported with open trucks to the site of the local phosphate deposits.
Questions for the Senior Technical Advisory Group:
3. Recognizing the importance of the national implementation plan for the implementation of the
obligations under the <strong>Stockholm</strong> <strong>Convention</strong>, how would you recommend the Ministry of
Energy and Ministry of <strong>Environment</strong> address the following questions:
a. Do the existing utility boilers meet the requirements for BAT? If not, what changes/
improvements would be necessary?
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