UNIDO’s approach
As part of the project, the centers for destruction of ozone-depleting substances (ODSs) and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) including polychlorinated biphenyls and diphenyls (PCBs and PCDs) will be set up.
Operation diagram of the destruction center and respective infrastructure
To achieve the project goals, UNIDO employs the approach that includes:
- Assistance to the participating countries in fulfillment of their commitments under the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer and the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.
- Application of the single technology and plant for destruction of ODSs and POPs, and demonstration of economic and environmental benefits of the solution and its replication potential.
- Establishment of the regional network to coordinate operation of the hazardous waste destruction centers.
- Creating conditions for technology transfer (preparation of relevant amendments to legislation, assistance in organization of the public and private partnership).
- Implementation of social responsibility principles through contribution to improving the living standards, propagating the culture of gender equality, protecting the environment.
Montreal Protocol and Stockholm Convention
The phase-out of ODS production and consumption with subsequent environmentally safe destruction is controlled by the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer.
The liquidation and limitation of production of the most hazardous organic compounds is covered by the Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants.
The demonstration project aims to arrange coordinated management of ODS and POP disposal and, thus contributes to meeting obligations of the participating countries under the Montreal Protocol and Stockholm Convention.
Single technology for ODS and POP destruction
The salient feature of the project is application of the single technology and equipment for destruction of both POPs and ODSs. Instead of two different plants with their own infrastructures, only one plant is set up, ensuring significant economy at all stages of the project implementation.
The destruction technology to be used for the demonstration project must comply with the following:
- Minimum POP destruction capacity 99.9999%
- Minimum ODS destruction capacity 99.99%
- Minimum plant capacity 400–500 kg/h
- Maximum possible safety for the environment or human health Emissions of flue gases from waste processing complying with the limits of international and local regulations.
- Safe working conditions for the personnel operating the installation and contacting with consumables and wastes
- 24/7 safety of waste treatment
The existing destruction technologies are described in the following documents:
- ODS: TEAP task force report on destruction technologies for controlled substances. April 2018;
- POP: General technical guidelines on the environmentally sound management of wastes consisting of, containing or contaminated with persistent organic pollutants, 2019.
Note. The list of approved technologies for the Montreal Protocol and the technical guidelines for the Stockholm Convention are regularly updated.
Today one of the common destruction methods for hazardous wastes including PCBs and chlorine-containing pesticides is high‐temperature oxidation.
According to the best practices, the following conditions are required to ensure destruction efficiency of 99.99999% for POPs and 99.99% for ODSs:
- minimum treatment temperature 1200 °C;
- minimum gas phase treatment time 2 seconds;
- turbulence and minimum excess oxygen 5%;
- mandatory use of a controlled temperature afterburner;
- mandatory flue gas cleaning;
- use of a scrubber to neutralize chlorine hydride vapor and mineral dust filters;
- maximum concentration of dioxins in flue gases 0.1 ng/m3.
The table below shows process environment features ensuring destruction capacity close to the required one.
| Destruction technology | High-temperature oxidation in rotary furnace | High-temperature oxidation in cyclonic reactor | High-temperature oxidation in rocket engine reactor | Pyrotechnic neutralization | Plasma chemical destruction | Plasma destruction |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Production capacity, kg/h | 700 | 200 | 200 | 30-80 | 25-30 | 500 |
| Excess oxygen, % | 10-13 | 10 | 13 | 13 | 10-15 | 8-12 |
| Temperature in the reaction zone, °C | 850 | 1200 | 2000-3000 | до 2500 | до 5000 | 1200-1600 |
| Processing time in the reaction zone, s | 2 | 2 | 0,1 | explosion | 0,005-0,007 | 3-4 |
| Destruction efficiency, % | 95,00 | 99,9996 | 99,9993 | 99,99 | 99,9999 | 99,9999 |
| Maximum dioxin/furan concentration, ng/m3 | 50-120 | 0,1 | 45 | 55 | 0,1 | 0,1 |
| Equipment cost, thousand USD | 4100 | 2300 | 3650 | 4250 | Не доступно | 2600 |
| Operation cost per ton, USD | 240 | 860 | 2350 | 3370 | 2500 | 920 |
According to the table, plasma destruction is the optimal technology considering the objectives of the GEF-UNIDO demonstration project.
The regional network to coordinate operation of the national sub-networks for hazardous waste destruction
Three destruction centers for hazardous wastes and four national sub-networks for ODS, PCB and POP disposal set up in the participating countries form a regional network.
The network coordinates collection, storage, and disposal of hazardous wastes, ensures distribution of the load among the waste destruction centers and facilitates information and experience sharing in the region.
Creating conditions for technology transfer
The participating countries prepare amendments to their legislation, national and industrial standards, and regulations.
These changes are aimed at harmonizing the legal framework with the international practice and regulations to ensure adequate operation of the regulation system for ODS, POP and PCB use and disposal.
The new rules and regulations enhance public and private partnership in implementing the programs for ODS, POP and PCB disposal and facilitate to dissemination of the rewarding experience in the region and beyond.
Social responsibility
The project is implemented in accordance with the UNIDO principles on development of the social and economic sphere, gender inclusion and environment protection.
Processing of refrigeration equipment and recycling of extracted metal, glass and plastic re-win the territory of landfills and promote efficient use of energy and primary resources.
The participating countries obtain access to the best available technologies, local business using BAT in manufacture of equipment gain support, and new jobs are created.
The UNIDO gender policy ensures equality for all genders and encourage the participation of women. One of the criteria for the project success are gender inclusion factors, such as the participants’ gender ratio of workshops and awareness programs.
The environmentally sound destruction of ODSs, POPs and PCBs reduces their effect on the environment, and use of plasma destruction instead of traditional burning reduces CO2 emissions.