The Petrotel Lukoil SA refinery was fined by 100,000 lei, after the authorities found significant exceedances in terms of hydrogen sulfide emissions.
The institution of the Prahova Prefect asked on Wednesday the Environmental Guard to identify the source of the strong smell noticed by dozens of citizens from Ploieşti and surroundings and to establish if the pollution limits were exceeded, during the control exceedances of hydrogen sulfide emissions were detected, according to Agerpres.
“Due to the fact that the olfactory discomfort was appreciated as an industrial emission, the permanence team within the National Environmental Guard – Prahova County Commissariat checked all the emission monitoring stations, belonging to the refineries in Ploieşti and found that at the station monitoring in the Laguna area, which belongs to Petrotel-Lukoil SA, the H2S-hydrogen sulfide indicator was exceeded in the time interval 06.30-07.00, as a result of which the company was verified,” it is shown in an information sent, on Thursday, by the Institution of the Prefect of Prahova.
According to the quoted source, the company in question has an ongoing project “Construction of RS3 sulfur recovery complex”, and on Wednesday began the transfer of gas from the DGRS (Gas Desulfurization and Sulfur Recovery) installation from the old chimney to the new one, according to the investment program.
“During the operation, for a period of about 30 minutes, the gases were directed to the torch. Due to the dispersion conditions, the recorded value of the H2S indicator was of 218.04 ug/m3, compared to the allowed limit value of 15ug/m3. Immediate emission reduction measures were taken by shutting down the HPM (Petroleum-Diesel Hydrofining), Coking and Catalytic Cracking plants. The flow of combustible gases to the torch pilots was also increased to burn traces of hydrogen sulfide. According to the data on the monitored stations, from 10.00, the registered values returned below the allowed limit values”, the representatives of the Prahova Environmental Guard said.
In this context, the company was sanctioned with a fine of 100,000 lei, according to Law 278/2013 on industrial emissions.