In society and in legislation, there is increasing attention on preventing and, where necessary, remedying emissions and leakages. In the Netherlands, this may appear to be a phenomenon of recent years, for example as a result of the heightened focus on emissions from industrial installations. However, it is in fact a development that has been unfolding since the 1980s. Even in our own surroundings, this is evident in the first major projects where subsurface quality no longer met the required standards, such as the Lekkerkerk operation (1980, known as the toxic waste scandal, with damages amounting to €84 million at the time), as well as the remediation operations from 2000 onwards concerning historic gasworks (notorious sites of soil contamination for which a specific remediation program was developed, IPO BO‑08).
Growing global attention
In addition to emissions to soil and water, there has naturally been increasing attention to emissions to the air. Within Europe, this has led to specific EU legislation on industrial emissions (2010/75/EU), aimed at ensuring that pollution in one country does not negatively affect another and that uniform standards are applied within individual countries. The basis for this can be found in regulations dating back to 2001, as shown by the relevant provisions.
Since 2022, there has even been global consensus within the United Nations that a clean, healthy, and sustainable environment (including clean air) is a fundamental human right (Stradalex, 23 August 2022). This is not legislation, but it does set a normative framework for countries—essentially calling on them to seriously address this issue through legislation.
Emission issues in industry
At Bilfinger, we observed that roughly between 2010 and 2013, significant emission problems arose in industrial projects. The cause was often limited attention to the quality of installation work, with no clearly defined procedures in place and no inspection or control methodologies being applied.
Following several government interventions across the Netherlands, multiple industrial clients were required to improve their performance, a process in which former Stork (part of Bilfinger since April 2024) played an active role. This ultimately led to the development of what we now apply as Flange Management.
Flange Management
Flange Management comprises specific work procedures and methods, process steps, and control systems designed to ensure that potential emissions at customer sites are identified, monitored, and prevented. This also includes software solutions for recording relevant data, a labeling and identification system, and a control methodology to ensure that areas where problems are expected are mitigated appropriately.
The methodology has evolved to the point that, for customers such as Sabic, OCI, Borealis, Chemours, DuPont, and NAM, we are almost always engaged to supervise and guarantee the quality of their flange connections. In problem cases—so‑called “bad actors”—we are often involved in developing solutions to address issues such as misalignment or lack of flatness in seals.
This may lead to adjustments in tightening procedures and specifications, changes to hardware or equipment, or repairs such as machining, seal modification, live loading, bolt tension measurement, 3D scanning, and more.
Evolving legislation
Legislation relating to unwanted leakages has expanded over time from toxic and carcinogenic substances to include environmentally harmful substances. For example, the guideline developed in 2019 (EU 2019/942) to reduce natural gas emissions was ratified by the European Parliament on 27 May 2024, making it applicable across all EU countries for companies in the oil and gas industry.
The rationale behind this legislation is that methane is 34 times more potent as a greenhouse gas than CO₂, and addressing methane emissions helps limit the greenhouse effect and climate change. After CO₂, methane is responsible for approximately 20% of the greenhouse effect.
Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR)
In recent years, we have expanded our activities to include emission reduction, as we have noticed that companies often struggle to find an effective and appropriate repair approach after a measurement firm has conducted an inspection. As a result, repairs may take a long time or not be implemented at all.
These activities fall under LDAR (Leak Detection and Repair). With this approach, we define the repair methods or process changes needed to achieve the desired emission reductions, and we support companies by providing a management system that offers insight and control over emissions through coordinated measures. We carry out these activities upon request and also perform follow-up inspections. This ensures that the effectiveness of mitigation measures is verified and, above all, evaluated.
Looking ahead, we see a strong demand for continuity in this type of service, which is why we now offer a full LDAR program. In our view, the repair component is becoming increasingly important. Within Bilfinger, we have product specialists with extensive experience in this field, as well as maintenance engineers who can provide targeted solutions depending on the specific requirements.
Do you have questions regarding legislation for industrial systems and the control of unwanted emissions related to flange and sealing issues? Contact us.
