Industries We Work With

The impacts of dust and air quality affect us all and are concerns for most industrial, commercial and public organistaions. We work in many countries beyond the British and Irish islands from Australia to the USA and Azerbaijan to Portugal. Our clients' activities are equally variable and range from running docks to managing the environmental impacts of steel works and from road construction to running museums.

Many industrial activities produce dust or impact on air quality; others may be adversely affected by neighbours' activities and the public have a direct and often increasing concern with undesirable impacts. It is essential that due consideration is given to the whole network of impacts at the earliest stages of planning as well as during and after implementation.

DustScanAQ provides consultancy services to a wide range of sectors including:

Minerals, oil and gas
Food and agriculture
Transport and infrastructure
Planning and development
Construction and refurbishment
Power generation

Recycling and waste management
Manufacturing
Local and national government
Storage and warehousing
Docks, harbours and marinas
Public institutions - schools, hospitals etc.

Air Quality Power Modelling Case Study

Written By

DustScan Editor

Background

The client was seeking planning permission for a 49.5 MWe energy facility within Greater Manchester. The proposed facility consisted of eleven 4.5 MW natural gas fired engines, anticipated to operate for approximately 2000 hours per annum at times of peak electricity demand. To support the planning application, an air quality assessment was required.

Issue

The proposed facility was in the vicinity of three large existing or consented power plants. The air quality impacts from the proposed facility had to be assessed cumulatively along with those plants, to develop a representative future baseline.

Solution

DustScanAQ liaised with the local authority to agree a suitable scope of work. It was agreed that in addition to the proposed facility, the dispersion modelling for this project would include the following plants:

Existing Carrington I Combined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT) Power Station (884 MWe capacity)
Consented Trafford CCGT Power Project (1520 MWe capacity)
Consented Carrington Gas Energy Plant (30 MWe capacity)

The dispersion modelling followed the latest guidance from the Environment Agency, Institute of Air Quality Management (IAQM) and Environmental Protection UK (EPUK). Model outputs were combined to produce future baseline contours such as the one below: illustrating that the cumulative impact from all plants did not cause exceedances of any relevant air quality objectives.

Outcome

The deliverable was approved by the local authority and further assurances provided to the EHO, proving the methodology used was sufficiently robust. The proposed facility was granted consent on 18/02/2019.

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