GHG inventory continued

Moving on to sector specific emissions I will blog on major emitters like energy, transport, residential, agriculture and business plus industrial processes (blogs will not follow the same order).  These are all a continuation of the previous blog.

A)

BUSINESS:

 According to the UK GHG inventory the business sector (dominated by industrial combustion) accounted for 15 percent of UK’s total GHG emissions in 2010. Carbon dioxide is the dominant GHG, according to the UK GHG inventory.

Emissions from business sector have been categorized as:

i.                   Stationary combustion (include commercial and industrial combustion from iron, steel, non-ferrous metals, chemicals, paper, food, beverage etc) which are estimated by their emissions factor (specific to UK or taken from IPCC and UNECE(United Nations Economic Commission for Europe) inventory guideline) and activity data;

ii.                 Industrial off-road machinery (equipments like portable generators) estimates are modeled on statistical data (number of machines, their age profile and average annual usage).

iii.            Other emissions include emissions from HFC’s from refrigerators, foam blowing, fire extinguishers, solvents, and energy recovery in the chemicals industry. Emissions of F-gases (includes Hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), Perfluorocarbons (PFCs) and Sulphur Hexafluoride (SF6)) are estimated using a model (LCA approach) while that of carbon dioxide (energy recovery processes) is based on the amount of solvent recovered and the carbon content of solvents.

All parameters in the models are reviewed, updated and are in line with international inventory guidance.

The DECC’s Updated Energy and Emissions Projections (2011 and 2012) state that emissions from business sector are expected to decrease by 13 percent of 2012 levels, by 2025, with carbon dioxide still being the dominant gas.

INDUSTRIAL:

In the industrial sector (which contributes to 1.8 percent to UK’s GHG emissions in 2010) cement production, iron and steel sector cause considerable amount of emissions (CO2 being the dominant GHG emitted). The emissions (with special reference to nitrous oxide (N2O)) have decreased significantly since 1990 as abatement equipments have been installed, and some plants have been closed down (2009).

There are many industrial processes being used today and estimating their emissions will include some uncertainties, and require different considerations for calculations (example calculating from raw data like emissions intensity/factor and activity data or data provided from process operators). Emissions (reporting) have to follow and be similar to the international reporting guidelines.

Inspite of abatement equipments, future projections taken from DECC’s Updated Energy and Emissions Projections (both from 2011 and 2012), state that emissions from industrial processes are projected to increase be nine percent of 2010 levels, by 2025.

Reference:

·         UK GHG Inventory: http://ghgi.decc.gov.uk/

·         UK Updated Energy Projections: http://www.decc.gov.uk/en/content/cms/about/ec_social_res/analytic_projs/en_emis_projs/en_emis_projs.aspx

·         The Environment Agency: http://www.environment -agency.gov.uk/business/topics/pollution/32254.aspx

·         UK GHG National Statistics: http://www.statistics.gov.uk/hub/agriculture-environment/environment/climate-change/index.html

·         The Environment Agency: http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/

·         SEPA: http://www.sepa.org.uk/

·         UK Minerals Yearbook (British Geological Society): http://www.bgs.ac.uk/mineralsuk/statistics/UKStatistics.html

·         Iron and Steel Statistics Bureau: http://www.issb.co.uk/