In December 2022, the EU published the best available techniques reference document (BREF) for Common Waste Gas Management and Treatment Systems in the Chemical Sector (WGC). From publication, a 4-year deadline was set for operators to comply. In 2023, operators were required to submit a “permit reconsideration dossier”, including a BAT compliance check, baseline soil report, and review of the 36 BAT conclusions (both general and sector-specific).
As we are near the end of 2025, the pressure is on plant operators and environmental managers to ensure they are fully compliant with the requirements before the final deadline in December 2026.
In this blog article, we recap on how the WCG BREF came about, what it means, and what’s next.
Download our WGC BREF info sheet to access additional insights into the WGC BREF.
The WGC BREF is a horizontal BREF for the chemical sector particularly addressing emissions of airborne pollutants. Horizontal and vertical BREFs are two kinds of BREFs typically used within the EU’s industrial emissions directive (IED 2.0).
Vertical BREFs are numerous across chemical production, and each contain best available techniques (BATs). However, issues arose when these BATs overlapped heavily, causing confusion in industry and duplication. In 2017, the EU published the Common Wastewater and Waste Gas Treatment and Management in the Chemical Sector (CWW) BREF as a cross-sector guide focusing on wastewater, and some aspects of waste-gas. Before extending this widely to air pollution by unifying BATs under the WGC BREF, operators of chemical activities had to piece together best practice across multiple process or product-specific documents, as illustrated in the table below.
| Vertical BREFs | BREF | Scope |
|---|---|---|
| Vertical BREFs | LVOC (Large Volume Organic Chemicals) | Ethylene, propylene, sulfur, phosphorus compounds, organometallics and more. |
| LVIC-S (Large Volume Inorganic Chemicals – Solids and Others) | Sodium carbonate/bicarbonate, chloride, silica-based compounds and more. | |
| OFC (Organic Fine Chemicals) | Pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, pigments and dyes, organic explosives and more. | |
| POL (Polymers) | Plastic monomers and polymers including production of synthetic fibres and rubbers. | |
| SIC (Specialty Inorganic Chemicals) | Several niche inorganic compounds like silicones, cyanides, pigments and more. | |
| Horizontal BREFs | CWW (Common Wastewater and Waste Gas Treatment/Management in the Chemical Sector) | Site-wide management of wastewater and gas. |
| WGC (Common Waste Gas Management and Treatment Systems in the Chemical Sector) | Emissions to air from the chemical sector. |
Jürgen Reinmann, Director of Regulatory Affairs at ENVEA, shares that under the WGC BREF, operators must continuously measure the following pollutants at any channel or diffuse emission point exceeding mass-flow thresholds (200–500 g/h):
Identified among the best available techniques, continuous monitoring is necessary to comply – anything less and operators will not be meeting their obligations. This is particularly more pressing since the 2024 revisions to the IED 2.0 include the requirement that facilities demonstrate they can meet the lower end of the best available technique-associated emission levels (BAT-AELs) – and if not, they need to justify why they cannot.
As such, investment in the right environmental monitoring and abatement solutions for your facility is crucial. Performance anywhere within the permissible range is no longer a greenlight for compliance.
Previously, permitting has focused on channelled emissions from specific stacks or pipes. However, with the WGC BREF, authorities are turning their attention to diffuse emissions through fugitive and non-fugitive sources.
In 2015, France reported that 83% of non-methane volatile organic compound (NMVOC) emissions were diffused rather than channelled in the 10 highest emitting plants. While NMVOCs react with nitrogen oxides and sunlight to form ground-level ozone, some of them are also directly toxic. For instance, benzene and formaldehyde are both carcinogenic.
Similarly, emissions of CMR, 1,3-butadiene, were shown to overwhelmingly come from diffuse sources over channelled (104 tonnes versus 0.53 tonnes). Like benzene, chronic exposure to 1,3-butadiene can increase the risk of developing leukemia. Meanwhile, numerous animal studies, observed a correlation between 1,3-butadiene and other cancers.
Being more vigilant with monitoring and abatement strategies for diffuse emissions during chemical activities could lead to a genuine uplift in environmental health and prevent some of the world’s most aggressive diseases.
In our latest fact sheet, we cover what you need to do to meet requirements, which chemical activities are relevant, and how you can stay compliant.
Adopting the recommendations of the BREFs and meeting the lower-end of the BAT-AELs doesn’t need to be overwhelming. We’ve got decades of experience navigating increasing regulations and we engineered our portfolio of monitoring solutions with both current and future legislation in mind.
The 2024 updates to the IED introduced substantially lower ELVs for both channelled and diffuse emissions as it introduces the obligation to aim for the lowest value in the BAT-AEL range by default. For example, for the BREF-WGC this would mean:
As the WGC BREF predates this announcement, it is not directly affected by this new rule. Nevertheless, with both standards now in force, it is entirely possible that local authorities may decide to impose stricter limits in order to align with the new standard. Given the stricter standards imposed by the IED 2.0 Directive, it is more important than ever to ensure that you have an optimised monitoring system in place.
Beyond regulatory compliance, the BREF is an opportunity to review and renew your operations. How can you increase business value by following the science?
Monitoring and controlling emissions reveal inefficiencies across your processes. For example, excess waste gas, energy loss, and overall underperformance. Optimizing performance with data-driven decisions can improve yields and reduce costs.
Studies have shown that Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) scores have a positive relationship with firm profitability. Companies that adopt strong ESG strategies benefit from improved risk management, and are overall seen as better positioned for long-term success.
By embedding best-practice monitoring and abatement strategies into your operations, you can pre-empt future tightening of regulations and reduce the risk of “shock” upgrade costs later.
Prepare your plant for the future, get advice on your WGC BREF compliance strategy from a team that eats, sleeps, and breathes air monitoring excellence – visit our dedicated WGC BREF support page.
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