Air Quality
Air pollutants include substances, gases, and particles in the air, whether from natural sources or the result of human activity. Human endeavors, such as energy generation, industrial and agricultural activity, and transportation are responsible for generating the majority of air pollutants. Common pollutants in our industry are nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx), particulate matter (PM) Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) and others.
Maintaining air quality at our production sites, as well as reducing emissions to the air, is a central goal of ICL, environmental strategy. The typical materials emitted are mainly inorganic compounds and particles and a minority of volatile organic compounds. The company regularly measures its emission of pollutants in order to better monitor and locate uncontrolled emissions in accordance with the law and conditions set in each site’s business licenses, through usage of accepted technologies. Moreover, ICL is taking steps to reduce air emissions of various pollutants in different ways, such as implementing innovative emission prevention solutions and switching to cleaner fuels.
To assure the advancement of the reduction efforts and the compliance with all air related regulations (with emphasis on the Israeli Clean Air Law), ICL has set the following organization-wide air emission targets:
- 15% reduction of Global NOx emissions from point sources, by 2022 compared to the year 2016. By 2019, a 4% reduction was already achieved (27% of the target).
- 35% reduction of Global SOx emissions from point sources, by 2020 compared to the year 2016. By 2019, a 51% reduction was already achieved (target achieved and surpassed, due to active reduction measures).
- 40% reduction of ICL Israel Ammonia (NH3) emissions from point sources, by 2020 compared to the year 2016. By 2019, a 63% reduction was achieved (target achieved and surpassed, partially due to active reduction measures, but also due to a 3.5 months maintenance shut-down of the Nitrous Acid production facility in ICL Haifa F&C).
The main reduction steps in 2019 and in the upcoming years are:
- 2019: Conducted full-year operation of the Highly Efficient boiler in the new Sdom power plant (now completed).
- 2019: Installed Improved Catalysts in the second ICL Rotem sulphuric acid plant (now completed).
- 2019: Implement New Ammonia treatment technology in the Ammonium Nitrate facility stack, Haifa F&C (now completed).
- 2021: Implemented New NOx treatment technology in Nitrous Acid facility stack, Haifa F&C. This reduction measure was originally planned for 2019, but the site has since found a better technological solution- that will reduce N2O emissions in addition to the planned NOx. In coordination and with approval from the Israeli authorities, the new technology is now in implementation, and is due to be fully operational by Mid 2021.
- 2021: Eliminate Oil Shale combustion in ICL Rotem, switching to natural gas.
ICLs expects its air emissions to continue to decrease in the next few years, as the company continues to implement the Clean Air Law in its Israeli sites, including the reduction steps described above and other steps, yet to be determined.
Note: In the charts below, 2008 appears as the base year used by ICL to measure our long-term performance (in addition to short-term, year by year performance). Data below is comprised of emissions from point sources.
Following are the yearly trends in direct and indirect energy consumption. Since 2008, ICL has reduced its global point SOx emissions by 68%; point NOx emissions by 87%; point PM emissions by 78%; and point VOC emissions by 3%. These reductions were mostly caused by the major transition to natural gas use at ICL Israel, in combination with some other site-specific emission reduction improvements. See specific 2019 explanations below.
SOx emissions are heavily dependent on the operation of the sulphuric acid production plants in ICL Rotem. In 2019, ICL’s global SOx emissions were reduced by 26% VS 2018, and by 45% VS 2017. These significant reductions are almost completely attributed to the installation of new, advanced and improved catalysts in both Rotem sulphuric acid production plants (Plant 10 in 2018, Plant 11 in 2019). This has also caused a significant decrease in relative terms of SOx per total phosphate production.
NOx emissions were reduced by 5% in 2019 VS 2018, and by 24% VS 2017. The two-year reduction was mostly caused due to the installation of a new highly efficient boiler, in the new Sdom power plant. The new plant has been fully operating since August 2018, and 2019 was its first full year of operation.
PM emissions were reduced by 37% in 2019 VS 2018. Most of this reduction is attributed to a significant reduction in PM emission from the ICL Rotem phosphate fertilizers facility. Another part of the reduction is attributed to reduced activity of the Rotem Zin mine. Both these have also caused a significant reduction in the overall ICL PM emission per phosphate production, see below.
In parallel to the significant reduction in NOx and PM emissions, the new Sdom power plant also has caused an unavoidable increase in VOC emissions (+8% in 2019 VS 2018, or +29% VS 2017), due to the large increase in natural gas consumption. The 2019 VOC emissions were still 3% lower than in the 2008 base year and are generally very low compared with most other air emissions related to ICL’s operations and described in this report. The major switch to self-production of electricity in ICL’s highly efficient new CHP plant, allows for indirect reduction of emissions in other external power plants.
ICL’s global emissions of Ammonia were reduced by 63% in 2019 VS 2018, mostly due to significantly reduced emissions in ICL China YPH. Ammonia emissions are generally very low compared with most other air emissions related to ICL’s operations and described in this report.
ICL’s Ammonia emissions in Israel are heavily dependent on the production of Nitrous Acid and Ammonium Nitrate in ICL Haifa F&C. In 2019 these emissions were also reduced- partially due the Implementation of New Ammonia treatment technology in the Ammonium Nitrate facility stack, but also due to a 3.5 months maintenance shut- down of the Nitrous Acid production facility in ICL Haifa F&C.
