Emissions Permit Update

In every industrial process, byproducts and pollutants are generated, and the facility is obligated to manage them through various means, whether by returning them to the production cycle, finding a new purpose for them (as a different product or within the framework of industrial symbiosis), treatment and controlled release to the environment, or transfer to a regulated disposal site.

The emissions permit update, conducted once every seven years, describes all existing and current production processes at the plant, including the various components that impact on the environment (air emissions, wastewater, and any other waste leaving the plant premises), as well as the stages of raw material unloading and product packaging.

About the Project

In this project, we carried out an emissions permit update for a large food additives plant.

This work spanned several months, during which we dedicated extensive time to meticulous analysis and careful attention to every detail.

In the first phase, we compiled and analyzed:

Data from over 100 wastewater analyses, including grab samples and composite samples.

Sampling results from more than 20 stacks, each sampled multiple times since the previous emissions permit.

Solid waste data leaving the facility to characterize routine operations.

Water and energy consumption.

In the second phase, we compared the current situation against legal requirements-which have been updated since the previous emissions permit-and against Best Available Techniques (BAT). We assessed the gaps to be closed and, together with plant representatives, set timelines and the methods to achieve them.

Throughout all stages of the emissions permit work, we maintained continuous communication with the plant for clarifications and to complete missing details.

As for the permit submission year, all production processes at the plant must comply with the prevailing Best Available Techniques (BAT), set according to European standards. Therefore, the emissions permit enables the plant owners, with the support of the environmental consulting firm Sutok, to re-evaluate production processes and implement the necessary adjustments to meet standards (regulatory compliance) and improve economic, energy, and operational efficiency.

Carrying out an emissions permit is a complex environmental consulting project that integrates disciplines from environmental engineering, economics, and regulation. Working on the emissions permit requires a holistic understanding of the plant’s production processes and their environmental impacts.