Global economic and industrial growth require continuous improvement of environmental regulations and the development of emission monitoring methods.
Climate change is a significant problem on a global scale. The concentration of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere is considered one of the main reasons for this change. In particular, gases such as carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CH4), and nitrogen oxides (NOx) stand out among the factors that cause climate change worldwide. Therefore, continuously monitoring and understanding the levels of greenhouse gases is vital for us to understand their environmental impact and to be able to take the necessary measures.
Emission monitoring is a critical step for industrial facilities to continue their activities without harming the environment and human health. While industrial gas treatment systems are modern and efficient, it may not always be possible to ensure a completely pollution-free environment. This is where continuous emission monitoring ensures that industrial plants act in a compliant and responsible manner, while helping to protect the environment and human health.
If you need to implement monitoring over large geographic areas or large facilities, traditional emission monitoring systems are often cost-prohibitive.
Many current emissions monitoring technologies are insufficient to meet greenhouse gas reduction targets set by regulators. Either they are too far apart to provide realistic emission measurements, or they are too expensive to distribute across the entire capital pile, resulting in incomplete data. That’s where sensor technology comes in. Sensors are devices used to monitor the variables around us and provide instant data continuously. It can also facilitate continuous emissions monitoring as it is relatively inexpensive to deploy in geographically dispersed areas and various types of equipment.
According to the International Energy Agency, oil and gas companies can achieve a 75% reduction in methane emissions when they use the right set of technology.
Benefits and Applications of Sensor Technology
- Low Cost: It is often difficult and costly to reach assets such as remote pipelines in large areas or large facilities. Sensors can be obtained at lower costs compared to conventional systems.
- Remote Monitoring: Sensors offer remote monitoring and data collection capabilities. This allows people to track multiple locations without physically relocating, which makes it easy to inspect the entire facility relatively easily.
- Real-Time Data: Sensors provide instantaneous, real-time data. This enables quick and effective decisions to be made, allowing sudden situations to be better managed.
- Flexibility and Scalability: One of the biggest challenges with emission monitoring is deploying the monitoring equipment itself and updating it regularly. IoT-based systems allow sensor networks to be flexibly expanded and scaled.
- Ease of Maintenance: The sensor can often be updated remotely and has lower maintenance requirements. This increases the sustainability of continuous emission monitoring systems.
- Data Analysis and Reporting: Continuous data from sensors can be analyzed to identify trends and patterns. Analyses are important for understanding changes in emission levels and planning future actions.
- Legal Compliance and Traceability: It is also natural that over time existing methods will be updated and new, improved ways of monitoring industrial actions will be implemented. Continuous emission monitoring with the sensor makes it easy to comply with regulatory requirements.
As a result, the benefits of emissions monitoring are twofold: First, it helps keep emissions at a certain level by creating a common framework for standards. Second, it points out weak points in emission monitoring processes and contributes to optimising them. Updating the monitoring of industrial actions with improved methods makes it possible to achieve more accurate, fast and effective results. Technological advances and environmental requirements require a review of existing methods and the adoption of innovative approaches. In this way, harmful emission levels can be reduced and air quality can be made cleaner.
