Petrol – Vapour Emission Controls /
Ref / FS- PAN716 / Issue/Revision Date / 01/07/2011 / Review Date / 01/08/2014 / Version: 3.0
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(Previously Supplementary Information Note 3 – Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928)
Vapour Emission Controls
A draft ‘Proposal for Council Directive on the Control of Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Emission resulting from the Storage of Petrol and its Distribution from Terminals to Petrol Filling Stations’ has commenced its passage through the European Community legislative process. It is expected that adoption of the Directive may take up to eighteen months.
This Stage One Directive is one of a series aimed at reducing VOC emissions in the twelve member states. The first step was the adoption last year of Directive 91/441/EEC mandating automobile VOC emission controls, i.e. catalytic converters in exhaust systems and small carbon canisters for evaporative emission controls. The Commission is currently preparing a Directive on automobile refuelling emission controls.
The Directive applies to the storage, leading and transport of petroleum spirit from refinery or intermediate distribution terminals to petrol filling stations. Petroleum spirit is defined as any petroleum distillate (except 100% propane or butane) with a Reid Vapour Pressure of 27.6k Pa (4 psi) or more intended for use as a fuel in an internal combustion.
Requirements
Specific technical requirements are listed with target values for VOC emissions set down solely for reference purposes. Member states may, however, accept other technical measures for emission controls if these are demonstrated to have at least the same efficiency as those listed.
Storage at terminals
The technical measures proposed are that all petroleum spirit storage tanks:
i Should be painted in a light colour if above ground and fitted with;
ii An external floating roof with primary and secondary seals achieving at least 95% reduction in
emissions compared to a fixed roof tank without controls; or
iii An internal floating roof achieving at least a 90% emissions reduction; or
iv Be connected to a vapour recovery unit (VRU).
Petroleum spirit loading facilities
The technical requirements proposed at that:
i Road tankers must be bottom loaded.
ii Rail tankers can still be top loaded but no splash loading will be permitted.
iii Vapours displaced during loading will have to be fed to a VRU with a mean hourly vent emission limit of 35 g/m 3 ;
iv Incineration will be permissible for marine loading if vapour recovery is considered unsafe or technically impossible because of the volume of vapour to be processed;
v Vapour collection systems will have to be checked for leaks at least every three months;
vi Product loading will have to be halted if a leak of petroleum spirit or vapour occurs.
In addition to permit cross border trade, road loading terminals will have to be fitted with specific loading equipment. Loading arms and vapour hoses designed for tankers to the “Institute of Petroleum Bottom Loading Code of Practice” will comply with the standard. The proposals are that terminals at which bottom loading is required would initially need at least one loading arm meeting the specified design with all loading facilities meeting the specification ten years after the date of the adoption of the Directive.
Mobile Containers
It is proposed that the design and operation of road tanker, rail tankers and barges shall be regulated if used for the carriage of petroleum spirit. Only those mobile containers that comply with the stated requirements would be allowed to load at facilities where vapour emission controls are mandated. In addition, the requirements apply to all new road and rail tankers from one year after the date of the adoption of the Directive and to new marine vessels from four years after adoption. The requirements are that:
i Road tankers will have to be designed for vapour balancing at petrol filling stations;
ii All mobile containers will have to be designed and operated to retain any residual petrol vapours after offloading and until subsequent refilling, except for losses through pressure relief valves;
iii If after offloading petrol a mobile container is subsequently used for products other than VOCs, then the vapours may be released into the atmosphere at places where there is no risk to human health or the environment;
iv Road tankers will have to be tested at intervals not exceeding three months;
v Pressure/vacuum valves will have to be inspected on all mobile containers at least every six months.
Petrol Filling Stations
The proposed requirements at petrol filling stations are that;
i Vapour balancing (Stage 1b) back to the road tanker during petroleum spirit deliveries will have to be implemented.
ii The delivery must cease if a vapour leak occurs.
Implementation Timetable
The required implementation of controls is phased and, for existing sites, is dependent on the annual petroleum spirit throughput. There will be an interim phase comprising one year from the date of adoption of the Directive during which time the Directive will be transposed into national legislation, followed by three consecutive phases of three years each. It is anticipated, therefore, that all phases will be completed by 2003 (see programme below).
Other Provisions
The draft Directive proposes that member states may impose more stringent measures for storage and loading installations in geographical locations where it is deemed necessary for human health or environmental well being. This provision does not extend to petrol filling stations.
Product recovered from a VRU will be exempted from exercise duties and other charges on motor spirit production.
EC Draft Stage 1 Directive: Phasing Throughput Proposals
DA(1)1993(2) / 1994 / 1997 / 2000 / 2003
Interim
→ →
Phase / Phase 1
→ → → →
/ Phase 2
→ → / Phase 3
→ →
Requirements / One year from DA / 4 years from DA / 7 years from DA / 10 years from DA
1. Petrol Filling Stations Vapour balancing on deliveries / All New (3) / 500,000 litres/year or all sites with habitation above premises in urban areas. / 200,000 litres a year / All Sites
2. Road Tankers – Bottom Loading facilities
3. Road and / or Rail Loading -
Vapour collection + recovery
4. Storage Tanks – Controls (floating roofs or tank vapour collection + recovery) / All New / 50 kt/y / 25 kt/y / All Sites
5. Marine Loading Vapour collection + recovery / Not Applicable / All New / 25 kt/y / All Sites
Notes:
1 DA = Date of adoption
2 The dates shown are ESTIMATED dates for completion of each phase
3 NEW = Not having an operating or construction licence prior to DA
Specification No 19 (shortly to be revised) will address the forthcoming Directive by recommending for all new and redeveloped sites the provision of dormant pipework and the strategic placement of vent stacks and fill points.
FS13/1/3
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