This document specifies the framework for determining emissions to the atmosphere of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). It specifies a system of methods to detect and/or identify and/or quantify VOC emissions from industrial sources. These methods include Optical Gas Imaging (OGI), Differential Absorption Lidar (DIAL), Solar Occultation Flux (SOF), Tracer Correlation (TC), and Reverse Dispersion Modelling (RDM). It specifies the methodologies for carrying out all the above, and also the performance requirements and capabilities of the direct monitoring methods, the requirements for the results and their measurement uncertainties.
This document specifically addresses, but is not restricted to, the petrochemicals, oil refining, and chemical industries receiving, processing, storing, and/or exporting of VOCs, and includes the emissions of VOCs from the natural gas processing/conditioning industry and the storage of natural gas and similar fuels. The methods specified in this document have been validated at onshore facilities.
This document is applicable to diffuse VOC emissions to atmosphere but not to the emissions of VOCs into water and into solid materials such as soils. It is complementary to EN 15446 [9], the standardized method for the detection, localization of sources (individual leaks from equipment and piping), and quantification of fugitive VOC emissions within the scope of a Leak Detection and Repair Programme (LDAR).
This document has been validated for non-methane VOCs, but the methodology is in principle applicable to methane and other gases.
This document specifies methods to determine (detect, identify and/or quantify) VOC emissions during the periods of monitoring. It does not address the extrapolation of emissions to time periods beyond the monitoring period.