Every day, tons of carbon dioxide, methane, nitrous oxide and other unnoticed emissions leak into the atmosphere, untracked and unmeasured—but not without impact.
The 2018 Annual Report from international climate change monitoring organization Climate Chance estimates that fugitive emissions account for at least 5% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
What Are Fugitive Emissions?
To put it simply, fugitive emissions are leaks or unwanted releases of gases and vapors into the atmosphere. These escaped emissions come from storage tanks, pipelines, wells, appliances or other pieces of pressurized equipment typically used in industrial activities. Most fugitive emissions are from refrigerants and natural gas, but they can also include greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, perfluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride and nitrogen trifluoride.
Why Are They So Harmful?
For the environment, fugitive emissions are the gaseous equivalent of death by a thousand cuts. Whether they’re coming from multiple sources or a single piece of equipment, these emissions can add up quickly because their impact often goes undetected, as their name implies. Fugitive emissions are the insidious industrial equivalent of bad weather stripping on doors and windows of a home. But instead of hot or cool air escaping, it’s harmful gases. According to the International Energy Agency, 20% of the world’s annual 570 million metric tons of methane emissions are fugitive.
Fugitive emissions happen across a wide swath of industries. With intentional action, however, they can be reduced. Not only is reducing fugitive emissions better for the planet, but it also cuts costs and promotes a safer work environment for employees across the industrial sector.
By reducing fugitive emissions, organizations have an opportunity to do the right thing by proactively—and transparently—responding to the climate change crisis with tangible steps that lead to measurable results for both the environment and for business. Eliminating fugitive emissions is a business responsibility: increasing regulations, outdated technology and the need for a tailored solution all add to the challenge a company faces when trying to stay competitive in a greener economy.
Preventing Fugitive Emissions
The best way to prevent fugitive emissions is to make sure all equipment is designed to eliminate or reduce them. Organizations must have accurate tracking and reporting of emissions data, which often means an investment in smart technology, such as wireless acoustic sensors or intelligent valve positioners, that can detect unnoticed emissions. The guesswork of emissions is no longer a viable solution for organizations to stay competitive and sustainable.
For companies trying to reduce their fugitive emissions, finding potential leak sources at large industrial facilities can seem daunting. There are numerous potential sources to be explored and, by their very nature, fugitive emissions can be difficult to identify. A holistic approach to tackling fugitive emissions can cost both time and money because fugitive emissions are emitted from several sources: valves (60%), flanges and pumps (15%), relief valves (15%), and tanks (10%).
This presents an opportunity for organizations to invest in technology, like Emerson’s Plantweb Optics, which can predict all common greenhouse gases through its logic engine, artificial intelligence and root cause analysis technology. These solutions help organizations monitor and assess the fugitive emissions of today and “future proof” their operations.
Organizations must develop a tailored solution to decrease fugitive emissions at all potential leakage points in the operation. An organization may look at other options to reduce industrial emissions, including corrosion detection sensors and software for metals, acoustic wireless sensors that can identify steam leaks, and highly specialized gas sensors that can sniff out compounds like nitrogen oxide (NOx), ammonia, benzene and other fugitive emissions.
The Big Fix: Valves
Over 60% of fugitive emissions come from leaky valves—and more than half of a plant’s fugitive emissions can be eliminated by servicing, updating and replacing valves. To reduce or eliminate fugitive emissions, organizations should assess which valves may be leaking and replace them with valves that are designed to reliably reduce fugitive emissions.
This includes upgrading the valve packing box—the seal isolating the valve equipment from the environment—to low-emission packing; the valve packing box is the component most vulnerable to leaks due to mechanical movement. Organizations should also consider installing position or pressure monitoring sensors on pressure relief valves, tanks and remote isolation valves to detect emerging leaks; using low-bleed controllers; and carefully considering whether an electric actuator might be a suitable fit for certain pneumatic applications to avoid bleed into the atmosphere where possible.
