Origin of the project and preliminary studies

In 2002 the German parliament decreed the “Clean Air Act” based on the European Air Quality Guideline 2008/50/EU. In this Clean Air Act, the emission limit values for formaldehyde, methanol and ammonia were reduced considerably and this meant a reduction of about 90 % for the emissions of the paraformaldehyde plant. A technique to achieve such an improvement suitable for the plant did not exist. An exemption clause in the directive allowed a limited continuation of the production on the condition that efforts were made to reduce the emissions. So a search started in the next years involving several renowned companies in order to obtain information as well as equipment for pilot plant examinations and execution of experiments. It was found that the four air washer of the plant could not be improved further although they really work quite effectively. After a reconstruction the waste air from the washer with the highest emissions was transferred into our power house and burned, but then our own possibilities for using this method were exhausted. To this date 400000 € had been spent for tests and examinations and for the reconstruction of the washer unit.

Finally a cooperation began with the company Rafflenbeul Ing., a company specialised in the field of waste air treatment who proposed a combination of an electric purification method (Low temperature plasma process) connected with a downstream catalytic method. Tests were performed in the laboratory of the company and also with a small-scale pilot plant onsite at the paraformaldehyde plant. The principal feasibility of this technology was proven. Since this special combination is the first industrial application of its kind, an application for support was placed with the European Union for the financing of the costs which are in the order of 1,4 million Euro. This application was granted after examination as LIFE+-Project 11 ENV/DE/1073 whereby the Ministry of Environment of the Rhineland-Palatinate gave us active support. The grant will cover approximately 25 % of the costs which must be specified in detail. Shortly afterwards detailed studies began in which a specialised department of the Westpommeranian University Szczecin/Poland participated. In the following the further development of the project is described in short monthly articles which begin with the works in January 2013. Furthermore, pictures are added (see “Picture docu”) in order to explain technical details and to document the progress of the works. Dear interested reader, we wish you an enjoyable study of our web pages.