Abstract
Odour emissions represent a significant environmental issue in refinery operations, as they can affect surrounding communities and contribute to negative public perception of industrial activities.
The Integrated Environmental Authorization (IEA) is the regulatory instrument that implements the requirements of the European Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC) framework, currently incorporated into Legislative Decree 152/2006 in implementation of the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) 2010/75/EU.
Within the European regulatory framework, the sector-specific Best Available Techniques (BAT) conclusions for the refining of mineral oil and gas (Decision 2014/738/EU) and cross-sectoral related BATc provide a structured approach for minimizing odour impacts. The BAT Conclusions emphasize the adoption of integrated measures, including Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) programmes, vapour recovery systems for storage and loading operations, enclosed or covered wastewater treatment units, thermal or catalytic oxidation, biofiltration, and activated carbon adsorption for treating odorous gas streams, etc.
This study provides a comparative evaluation of the odour-abatement and mitigation systems currently implemented across Italian refinery plants. The objective is to assess the degree to which BAT Conclusions related to odour emissions are effectively operationalized, thereby providing insight into the practical alignment between regulatory requirements and on-site environmental management practices.
