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Content archived on 2022-12-27

FROM ENERGY TO ENVIRONMENT

Objective

The approach adopted here involves not only the "state" of the air, but also the pressure exerted on the environment, in other words the polluting emissions from factory chimney stacks and dwellings, and even vehicle exhaust emissions. This is doubtless the most practical approach as it enables one to act to prevent or correct attacks on air quality. It is also the most recent one, as the methods available to assess the sources of emissions, and above all their contribution to the degradation of the atmosphere, do not give clear results.
SO2 and NOx : a sectoral temporal and spatial analysis
The analysis carried out first concerned sulphur dioxide (SO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NOx) emissions, the two types of atmospheric emission which can be assessed more comprehensively than any other at the moment. This is particularly true of industry, which is responsible for almost 80% of SO2 emissions and one-third of NOx emissions. The frontrunner in the industrial sector is, of course, the Walloon steel sector (including the cokeworks), which is responsible for one quarter of SO2 and one-tenth of NOx emissions.
Total SO2 emissions from 1985 to 1989 taking all sectors together dropped by 11% mainly because of two factors :
* growing use of electricity supplied by nuclear plants, which is reflected in a reduction of discharge from thermic units (almost 25% less).
* the continued disappearance of fuel rich in sulphur (coal and extra heavy fuel).
However, emissions produced by the steel sector remained stable.
NO2 emissions increased by 18% during this period. This is essentially due to road transport.
Road transport : the emissions of a "Nomadic" sector
Contrary to the developments in energy consumption by industry and private users, emissions by road transport are by nature "nomadic". So how can they be measured, located and where possible thanks to this information be prevented or reduced?
An in-depth analysis was made on this aspect using the "MYRTILLE" model, which from 1985 to 1989 supplied a breakdown of regional energy consumption in this sector and the main polluting emissions (NOx, CO, VOC, SO2, CO2, PAH, Pb) which are linked to it. It distinguishes between the following :
* The relevant road networks (motorways, national and provincial roads, roads in urban areas and other communal roads)
* vehicle types depending on the fuel used : light petrol vehicles, light diesel vehicles, heavy diesel vehicles (lorries, buses, vans)
* geographical locations based on Walloon districts.
Apart from the establishment of this mass of results, "MYRTILLE" enables one to proceed with various simulations regarding the impact of certain measures to reduce atmospheric emissions caused by road transport.
In any case, one of the most significant points observed by this analysis is that there is no "one-dimensional" solution to problem of emissions by this sector.
* the various types of fuel are not responsible for identical forms of pollution and none of them can claim a necessarily more "ecological" position than its rivals :
* similarly, apart from questions of road safety, a drastic reduction in speed limits does not seem to be any "healthier" (for the air) than unlimited speed.
Other emissions
The analysis produced a picture of total CO2, dust and VOC emissions.
Using the system's main data base, the BDI (industrial data base), a new computerised tool named BDE was created (environment data base), integrating the emission factors of the various energy processes and enabling one to assess the discharges from the main industries into the atmosphere.
INTEGRATION OF THE CORINAIR APPROACH
In parallel, the work carried out at regional level was compatible with the CORINAIR methodology proposed by the European Commission. Elaborated by the Directorate General for the Environment (DG XI) in the context of the CORINE project, the CORINAIR software has a data base structure enabling it to produce the most complete inventory possible of atmospheric emissions in every EC country.
Moreover, with regard to the transport sector, the adaptation of CORINAIR led to the creation of an original model named "MYRTILLE", which is adapted to the configuration of the regional information available.
It should be pointed out that a large number of data supplied bythe "Energy/Environment" systems is transferred to a geographical information system (GIS) controlled by cartographic software, "ARC/INFO". This procedure enables one to transfer the main results of analyses onto maps.

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Coordinator

MINISTERE DE LA REGION WALLONNE
EU contribution
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Address
AVENUE DU PRINCE DE LIEGE 7
5100 Jambers
Belgium

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