CUSTOMER SUCCESS STORIES
Emission Monitoring at Umicore
ABOUT
Leading Sustainable Metal Recycling
Umicore, a global leader in circular materials technology and metal recycling, operates facilities across 12 countries on three continents. The Hoboken facility in Antwerp, Belgium, is recognized as the world’s largest and most complex plant for precious metals recycling. At this site, Umicore processes over 200 types of raw materials and recovers 28 different metals, employing eco-efficient practices that reduce environmental impact. Central to their ESG strategy, the Hoboken plant combines a large number of preventative measures for emission reduction with advanced technologies allowing for continuous and predictive emission monitoring. These technologies are vital not only for ensuring regulatory compliance but also for supporting Umicore’s sustainability goals, contributing significantly to a greener production process.
CHALLENGES
Site-wide Emission Monitoring
Located near residential zones, Umicore’s Hoboken recycling site must adhere to strict environmental license requirements. This proximity demands tight control of emissions from metal refining to avoid impacting the surrounding community. The site not only implements innovative measures to reduce emissions but also continuously monitors their effectiveness to ensure environmental safety.
Challenges in deploying comprehensive emission monitoring:
Continuous Monitoring: The plant operates non-stop, necessitating a robust system that provides real-time emission data far beyond what periodic checks can offer, ensuring compliance and operational integrity.
Fine-Grained Accuracy: Covering the expansive area of the Hoboken site demands a detailed and flexible IoT-based approach targeting quick detection of more local issues. As such, in addition to high-end, fixed monitoring solutions, the installation of a network of IoT sensors provides more fine-grained monitoring of potential emission sources.
Manageability: The implementation of numerous IoT sensors must be manageable and not overcomplicate IT operations, ensuring seamless day-to-day management.
Integration: It’s crucial that the IoT data integrates flawlessly with Umicore’s existing IT/OT systems. This setup helps correlate real-time sensor data with operational processes, offering actionable insights and preventing data fragmentation.
SOLUTION
End-to-End IoT-based Emission Monitoring by VersaSense
Building on the established IoT infrastructure previously implemented for condition monitoring, VersaSense expanded its solution to include advanced real-time emissions monitoring. This involved deploying additional wireless IoT sensors at various locations across the facility, designed to continuously monitor a variety of emission sources.
Advanced Emission Sensing: The network includes sensors for particulate matter (dust) levels, gases/volatile organic compounds (VOCs), and ambient noise, along with wind meters to measure speed and direction.
This setup offers Umicore comprehensive, fine-grained monitoring around the clock, targeting typical emission sources across the site. Additionally, by including measurements from IoT-enabled wind meters deployed across the site, it enables a better understanding of how meteorological conditions, specifically wind speed and direction, can significantly impact certain emission parameters or help determine the source of emissions.
sensors installed
across the
Hoboken site
emission measurements
analysed per year
direct integration
with existing
IT/OT systems
Scalable IoT management and integration of emission data with process data
Secure Data Infrastructure: All sensors at Umicore’s facility continuously collect data, which is securely transmitted wirelessly to the VersaSense Enterprise IoT platform. This platform implements a robust and scalable data processing infrastructure, including AI-driven software for trend analytics, anomaly detection, and pattern recognition in emission measurements.
Automated IoT Management: In order to provide Umicore with a consolidated view of their IoT infrastructure, the platform extends beyond data processing to deliver comprehensive management of each connected sensor. Its capabilities include a.o. support for full remote sensor reconfiguration, seamless data integration, real-time alerting, and customizable dashboard creation. Additionally, the platform supports scalable data storage and sophisticated reporting functions, enhancing overall operational efficiency.
Analytics of Emission data: We analyze particulate matter data to spot trends, unusual patterns, and links to production activities, helping us manage the environment better. For noise, we check that it meets EU noise rules (Directive 2002/49/EC) to help prevent or reduce the harmful effects of loud sounds. Our efforts ensure Umicore keeps up with environmental standards in a straightforward way.
Seamless System Integration: Integration with Umicore’s AVEVA OSISoft PI system significantly enhances the platform’s analytical capabilities. By correlating real-time sensor data with process data, it provides deeper insights into the origins of anomalies, linking sensor readings directly to specific operational processes, which is essential for informed decision-making.
RESULTS
Effective emission management, faster reaction
Continuous IoT-based emission monitoring with VersaSense technology has significantly improved Umicore’s environmental management, resulting in fewer emission incidents and quicker responses to potential issues. By integrating real-time data on wind, weather, and location with insights from intelligent sensors across multiple locations, the system swiftly identifies and analyses emission sources. This proactive approach not only reduces the frequency of incidents but also facilitates early interventions, crucial for adhering to environmental standards and enhancing overall operational responsiveness.
Furthermore, the wireless nature of the IoT solution enhances operational efficiency and agility, allowing for easy deployment and streamlining the process of identifying trends and anomalies. This capability allows Umicore to install monitoring points across the site and respond swiftly to changes, mitigating risks before they escalate. The quick deployment of the system and its ability to provide immediate, actionable insights help prevent potential environmental impacts efficiently.
These technological advancements not only minimize installation and maintenance costs but also enhance root-cause analysis, reducing environmental risks and improving ESG reporting. Together, these improvements underscore Umicore’s commitment to sustainable operations and demonstrate a clear advancement in their environmental management strategy.
