Detail information

Relevant authorities use BREFs to find out what is technically and economically viable for each industrial sector in order to improve their environmental actions

The Fagor Ederlan Group is one of the companies that is actively collaborating within the European Union on the revision of these documents in order to reduce emissions

In May, the Fagor Ederlan Group hosted a work day with representatives from institutions as well as the sector itself, during which doubts about the operation of foundries were addressed

The Fagor Ederlan Group is one of the leading companies that is working on the revision of the Foundry BREF within the European Union. BREFs (European Best Available Technique Reference Documents) are reports produced concerning the prevention and comprehensive control of pollution. 

Silvia Trigueros, Fagor Ederlan Group Head of Environmental Management, explains that “BREFs approve the Best Available Techniques (BAT) for each of the industrial sectors; the applied techniques; current emissions and consumption levels. Emerging techniques are also identified”. 

Relevant authorities use BREFs to find out what is technically and economically viable for each industrial sector, in order to improve their environmental actions and, consequently, improve the environment as a whole.

The main points covered in the Foundry BREF refer to atmospheric emissions; efficient use of raw materials and energy; waste reduction, as well as to the recycling and recovery systems used.

These documents are currently in the process being revised and updated, with a schedule having been established to develop such work. Various agents participate in the edition and revision process through the exchange of information: industry, public administration from the different States within the European Union and environmental NGOs.

The Fagor Ederlan Group work day

In May, 2019, the Fagor Ederlan Group, as one of the companies that is actively collaborating on the revision of these documents, hosted a visit for members of the Ministry of Environment, representatives of the Basque Government’s environmental management, technicians from the documentation revision team, as well as representatives of the Spanish and European Foundry Associations (FEAF). 

Silvia Trigueros explains that “throughout the day, in addition to visiting our installations, many doubts concerning the operation of the foundries, as well as many facilities that have a significant impact on the environment, were addressed”.

The Fagor Ederlan Group Head of Environmental Management states that the Guipuzcoan cooperative will presently be collaborating in the completion of questionnaires to “obtain information related to their installations, consumptions and any environmental impact they may produce”. 

Once the information from the various volunteer companies and all of the Member States has been collected, the process to establish the Best Available Techniques can begin. This project is going to take 3 years, and is not expected to finish before 2022.

Once these BREFs have been published, the different emission limits can be established: “normally more restrictive, given that treatment systems have been evolving and are now more effective” explains Trigueros.

Companies have four years to adapt their installations to these new limits, should it be necessary.

Silvia Trigueros explains that “this revision could have a significant impact on the industrial sector in question; any planned investments will depend on the outcome of the revision, not only in terms of emissions but also the efficiency and consumption of resources, which may even involve changes to the production means or the incorporation of installations to treat emissions, spills, etc. ”.