Industry action on emissions The National Pollutant Inventory (NPI) provides information on emissions around Australia to inform decision-making and to promote the need for cleaner production and waste minimisation activities by industry. Industries around Australia are taking action to lower their emissions by investing in new technologies and practices.. The two roasters at Gidji are used to extract the gold from ore mined at the nearby Fimiston Open Pit. Through the roasting process, where temperatures exceed 600°C, water and sulfur dioxide gas are emitted to the atmosphere. Mercury that is present in the ore itself is also released. While the Plant operates within strict air quality guidelines, it is Australia’s highest emitter of mercury and one of Australia’s highest emitters of sulfur dioxide. Figure 1 and figure 2 show emissions of mercury and sulfur dioxide, respectively, as reported to the National Pollutant Inventory (NPI). Image credit: Michelle McAulay environment.gov.au 10 8 Tonnes The Gidji Processing Plant, operated by Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines (KCGM) is located approximately 17 km north-west of Kalgoorlie. Due to the type of ore located along the Golden Mile, roasting has been the most effective method of extracting gold in the region since 1898. By the early 1900s, there were 88 roasters located along the Golden Mile. When KCGM formed in 1989 the three remaining in-town roasters were closed and replaced by the roasters at the Gidji Processing Plant. Figure 1 - NPI mercury emissions to air reported by the Gidji Gold Roaster. 6 4 2 0 2004-05 2008-09 2013-14 Reporting year Figure 2 - NPI sulfur dioxide emissions to air reported by the Gidji Gold Roaster. 185000 180000 Kilotonnes 1. Gidji Gold Roaster, Kalgoorlie-Boulder, Western Australia 175000 170000 165000 2006-07 2008-09 Reporting year 2013-14 2. Nyrstar Lead Smelter, Port Pirie, South Australia The Nyrstar Lead Smelter, based in Port Pirie, South Australia, has been in continuous operation for more than 125 years. It processes a wide range of lead-rich concentrates and smelting industry by-products to produce lead, sulfuric acid, zinc-oxide fume, copper, silver and gold. The smelter is an integral part of the Port Pirie community and indirectly sustains about 3,250 full-time equivalent jobs. Nyrstar has been working closely with stakeholders for many years to reduce blood lead levels in young children in Port Pirie. In 2014, 81 per cent of children tested were under the benchmark of 10 micrograms (µg) of lead per decilitre (dl) of blood compared to 50 per cent in 2005. Lead emissions from the Nyrstar facility, however, continue to be some of the highest reported to the NPI – see Figure 3. Nyrstar is committed to reducing emissions from the site and to reduce its environmental footprint. In partnership with the South Australian Government, and supported by the Australian Export Finance and Insurance Corporation, Nyrstar is redeveloping its Port Pirie smelter and replacing the out-dated sintering technology with a Top Submerged Lance furnace connected to a new acid plant and a new oxygen plant. The redeveloped site is scheduled for commissioning in 2016. This facility will increase throughput by 50 per cent whilst halving emissions of lead to air and reducing emissions of sulfur dioxide by 97 per cent. This technology, in combination with a $3 million a year Targeted Lead Abatement Programme, jointly funded by Nyrstar and the South Australian Government, is expected to increase the proportion of children under environment.gov.au Figure 3 - NPI lead and sulfur dioxide emissions from the Nyrstar, Port Pirie, facility 90000000 80000 80000000 70000 70000000 60000 60000000 50000 50000000 40000 40000000 30000 30000000 20000 20000000 10000 10000000 Sulfur dioxide Lead Kilograms (lead) Further information about the substances sulfur dioxide and mercury can be found in the fact sheets “Sulfur dioxide and oxides of nitrogen” and “Mercury emissions”. the benchmark 10 µg lead /dL of blood to 95 per cent within a decade. Kilograms (sulfur dioxide) To eliminate atmospheric emissions of mercury and sulfur dioxide at Gidji, KCGM will replace the two roasters with a large ultra-fine grinding mill by the end of 2015. Estimates indicate a decrease of approximately 200,000 tonnes per annum of sulfur dioxide emissions and a reduction of four tonnes per annum of mercury emissions. These reduced emissions will significantly lower Australia’s overall mercury emissions and improve air quality in the local region. 0 0 Reporting year Further information on the transformation of the Nyrstar Port Pirie site can be found at www.portpirietransformation.com 3. Orica Kooragang Island, New South Wales Orica’s Kooragang Island plant, located near Newcastle, New South Wales (NSW), produces ammonium nitrate for use in the mining and quarrying sectors. The facility has been in operation since 1969 and plays a significant role in the local economy and community. Since Orica became responsible for operations at the Kooragang Island plant in 2003, there has been an ongoing program of environmental improvements at the site to address potential emissions to air, water and land and reduce noise impacts. This program of works, which was accelerated following environmental incidents in 2011, has delivered reductions in emissions to the environment. Projects have been implemented to reduce oxides of nitrogen emissions to the air through the installation of scrubbing technology in the ammonia plant and purchasing of low oxides of nitrogen burners in new furnace technology. The discharge of nitrogen to effluent has been reduced through the installation of source control systems, reverse osmosis technology and increased focus by operation personnel on activities that can affect performance. Improvements were also made to ammonia handling systems onsite to reduce the risk of a release to the elimination and simplification of ammonia handling systems reduction in pressurised ammonia storage inventories capture and destruction of routine and non-routine ammonia sources, and improved ammonia detection and isolation ability. Figure 4 - NPI ammonia emissions reported by Orica Kooragang Island facility. 400000 350000 300000 Emissions (kg) environment. However, in response to an incident in November 2011 where approximately 90 kg of ammonia was released to the atmosphere, Orica has made further improvements to the ammonia management systems. A comprehensive ammonia management improvement program, which is being implemented between 2012 and 2017, was developed for the site and focuses on four key aspects: 250000 200000 150000 100000 50000 0 This will see further reductions in the emissions of ammonia to air. In December 2014, the NSW Department of Planning and Environment approved an application for the installation of three ammonia flaring systems to destroy non-routine ammonia emissions. The first of the flares will be installed by late 2015. The ammonia emissions from the Kooragang Island facility, as reported to the NPI, are illustrated in Figure 4. NPI reporting enables the improvements in environmental performance, for example as the result of ammonia management improvement program implementation, to be made available to the broader community. The improvements in effluent quality can be seen in the reducing ammonia levels in water for the period detailed in Figure 4. Reporting year Air fugitive (kg) Air point (kg) Water (kg) The reporting on substances, such as ammonia, through the NPI increases community access to information about the emissions that may affect them locally. Ammonia emissions are included in the NPI as there are potential health and environmental effects which can occur, depending upon the nature of the emission. Ammonia is a widely used chemical and is present in commonly used household and industrial cleaners, bleaching agents and disinfectants. It is also used in the preparation of synthetic fibres (e.g. nylons), plastics and explosives, resins, human and veterinary medicines, fertilisers, chemical compounds, fuel cells, rocket fuel, dyes, metal treating operations, refrigeration and in the petroleum industry. © Commonwealth of Australia, 2015. This fact sheet is licensed by Commonwealth of Australia under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia licence. The views and opinions expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the Australian Government or the Minister for the Environment. Note: While the Commonwealth has made reasonable efforts to ensure the accuracy, correctness or completeness of the material, the Commonwealth does not guarantee, and accepts no liability whatsoever arising from or connected to, the accuracy, reliability, currency or completeness of this material. environment.gov.au
