Though it occurs naturally, mercury remains a persistent and insidious threat to the environment and our health. Once released into the environment through industrial processes, it can travel tremendous distances for thousands of years. In fact, the WHO has now classified mercury as one of the ten chemicals of major public health concern.
To combat the significant and far-reaching threat of mercury, regulators worldwide have intensified their focus on controlling its release. New directives and legislation have put mercury emissions monitoring under the spotlight, challenging businesses to meet strict compliance requirements while optimising their operational efficiency.
One thing is clear: reducing mercury emissions is not optional. So how can businesses navigate these changes without significantly driving up costs or compromising performance?
The ongoing challenge of mercury monitoring for businesses
Mercury emissions regulations in the waste-to-energy sector are particularly strict, leaving little room for error, especially when it comes to monitoring levels across a plant. Due to its tendency to fluctuate in concentration depending on the waste being processed, it’s a chemical that can be notoriously difficult to capture and measure consistently.
As a result, plant operators need monitoring solutions that are both compliant and also highly responsible and adaptable. This need to continuously adjust monitoring and control systems to account for different waste compositions adds a layer of complexity to an already complicated process.
To make matters more challenging, many older plants still operate outdated systems that lack the precision and adaptability needed for modern compliance. Retrofitting these older systems—or fully upgrading to new, more efficient solutions—requires time, expertise, and money. And, as with any transition to new technology, there are hurdles like integration with existing infrastructure, training for operational staff, and ensuring minimal downtime that stand in the way.
The prolific status in the public eye of mercury and its toxic effects also increases the pressure on businesses to demonstrate greater transparency and accountability in their emissions data. Simply meeting legislative requirements is not enough. Many organisations are finding they must go beyond the regulatory minimum to build trust with the public and satisfy environmental stakeholders. Failure to do so can result in reputational damage, making it harder to secure operating licences, attract investment, or maintain positive relationships with the communities they serve.
Strict legislation is disrupting businesses
In 2023, new BREF (Best Available Technique Reference) legislation brought a sharper focus on mercury emissions in Europe, compelling operators of waste incineration and co-incineration plants to reassess their emissions control and monitoring strategies. Under the European Union’s Industrial Emissions Directive (IED), the regulations aim to ensure that organisations use the most effective and advanced methods to reduce mercury emissions, protect public health, and mitigate environmental damage.
But while the 2023 deadline for mercury emissions compliance has come and gone, the challenges it brought with it have remained.
Plant operators have been scrambling to upgrade their monitoring systems to meet the new standards, and many are still in the process of adapting. The response to the deadline has been mixed. Some companies were able to act proactively, adopting advanced emissions control technologies early on, while others were forced to delay, resulting in last-minute scrambles to meet the new thresholds.
For companies still in transition, reducing mercury emissions remains daunting. Limits are stringent and failure to comply can result in significant financial penalties, plant shutdowns, or reputational damage. Those who have met the deadline still face the ongoing task of ensuring that their monitoring systems remain optimised to detect and manage mercury emissions in real-time.
And, as we know, regulations are rarely static. What’s compliant today may not be sufficient tomorrow. Many organisations are aware that environmental regulations will continue to evolve to become more stringent in response to mounting global climate and pollution worries. The BREF legislation is just one step in an ongoing tightening of emission controls across Europe and other parts of the world.
Effective steps to move beyond compliance
The smartest organisations plan for the long term. By investing in flexible, scalable emissions monitoring systems, operators can future-proof their operations, ensuring that they’re not caught off-guard by further tightening of mercury limits.
But this proactive approach requires foresight, capital, and the right technology partners to navigate the evolving regulatory landscape effectively. Which is where Envea has been proven to offer solutions that help plant operators stay ahead of regulatory changes while driving operational efficiency.
Our state-of-the-art mercury monitoring systems are designed to meet the stringent requirements of the BREF legislation, providing real-time data and analytics that empower businesses to make informed decisions. We offer a full suite of solutions—from Continuous Emissions Monitoring Systems (CEMS) like the SM-5, to bespoke consultancy services —ensuring that our clients are not only compliant but also future-proofed for evolving environmental standards.
In an era of heightened environmental accountability, the waste-to-energy industry is under increasing pressure to reduce its carbon footprint and align with global sustainability goals. One area that often goes overlooked, but plays an increasingly important role in both climate strategy and business operations, is the measurement of biogenic CO2.
