More about mercury and the chlor-alkali industry

One of the main sources of anthropogenic mercury (i.e. originating from human activities) is the chlorine-alkaline industry, which uses the obsolete mercury cell technology to produce chlorine products. Most European plants already have technologies in place that do not need to use this dangerous heavy metal, but there are still some 45 plants making use of this unnecessary method.

Chlorine-alkaline plants using mercury cells in the European Union:

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COUNTRY	COMPANY	SITE
BELGIUM BELGIUM CZECH REPUBLIC CZECH REPUBLIC FINLAND FRANCE FRANCE FRANCE FRANCE FRANCE FRANCE GERMANY GERMANY GERMANY GERMANY GERMANY GERMANY GERMANY GERMANY GERMANY GREECE HUNGARY ITALY ITALY ITALY ITALY ITALY ITALY ITALY POLAND POLAND ROMANIA ROMANIA SLOVAK REPUBLIC SPAIN SPAIN SPAIN SPAIN SPAIN SPAIN SPAIN SPAIN SWEDEN SWITZERLAND UNITED KINGDOM	SolVin Tessenderlo Chemie Spolana Spolchemie Akzo Nobel Albemarle Arkema Arkema Prod. Chim. d’Harbonnières Solvay Tessenderlo Chemie BASF Bayer Vinnolit Akzo Nobel Degussa Ineos Chlor LII Europe Vestolit Vinnolit Hellenic Petroleum BorsodChem Altair Chimica Solvay Ausimont Caffarro Syndial Eredi Zarelli Solvay Tessenderlo Chemie Rokita Brzeg Tarnow S.C. Oltichim Grupul Indus. de Petrochimie Novacke Chemicke EIASA (Aragonesas) EIASA (Aragonesas) EIASA (Aragonesas) Elnosa Ercros Quimica del Cinca SolVin Solvay Norsk Hydro SF-Chem Ineos Chlor	Antwerp (Lillo) Tessenderlo Neratovice Usti Oulu Thann Jarrie Lavera Harbonnières Tavaux Loos Ludwigshafen Uerdingen Knapsack Ibbenbüren Lülsdorf Wilhelmshaven Frankfurt Marl Gendorf Thessaloniki Kazincbarcika Volterra Bussi Toreviscosa Porto Marghera Picinisco Rosignano Pieve Vergonte Dolny Tarnow Râmnicu Vâlcea Braila Novaky Huelva Sabiñanigo Villaseca Lourizan Flix Monzon Martorell Torrelavega Stenungsund Pratteln Runcorn
TOTAL		45

European regulations regarding the use of mercury by the chlor-alkali industry

The Oslo and Paris Conventions (OSPAR) for the protection of the North-East Atlantic agreed to the progressive elimination of these plants across the whole of Atlantic Europe by 2010(PARCOM decision 90/3).

The EU has decided that the elimination of these plants in member states should be brought forward to 2007. The IPPC Directive requires installations to have permit conditions based on best available techniques (BAT). The mercury-cell process is not considered to be BAT for the chlor-alkali sector.

Article 5 of the IPPC Directive states that existing installations, i.e., installations in operation before 30 October 1999, should operate in accordance with the requirements of the Directive by 30 October 2007.

Alternatively, a number of EU countries have announced that their mercury cell chlor-alkali plants will be decommissioned and/or converted to mercury-free technology by 2010, in line with a more flexible interpretation of the IPPC Directive.

Chlor-alkali industry response regarding the use of mercury

Meanwhile, through its association, Eurochlor, the chlorine industry, with an annual turnover of 240,000 million euros, has commited itself to a voluntary phase out of Mercury cell process-factories by 2020.

A number of EU countries have announced that their mercury cell chlor-alkali plants will be decommissioned and/or converted to mercury-free technology by 2010.

The spanish Government in 2006 even agreed to the industries voluntary phase out, meaning as late as 2020.