Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (CEMS) Regulation, was published in the Official Gazette on 12.10.2011; and defines the principle of continuous measurement, monitoring, and transmission of these data to the ministry’s system for the parameters determined according to the Industrial Air Pollution Control Regulation, published in the Official Gazette dated 3/7/2009 and numbered 27277, the Waste Incineration Regulation published in the Official Gazette dated 6/10/2010 and numbered 27721, and Local Environmental Board decisions.
The main purpose of the CEMS Regulation is to regulate the procedures and principles that must be followed regarding the establishment, operation, and creation of a quality assurance system for continuous emission monitoring systems.
Facilities Required to Install a Continuous Emission Monitoring System;
- Large combustion plants
- Solid and liquid fuel combustion plants with a nominal thermal power of 10 MW or more
- Facilities exceeding the mass flow limit values determined in Annex-3 of the SKHKKY in periodic emission measurements
- Waste incineration plants
- Facilities subject to continuous monitoring by the Ministry or the Governorship decision
If the relevant industrial establishment is obliged to install a CEMS, it must install the system in accordance with the limit values it is subject to in the SKHHKY or the Waste Incineration Regulation.
The device selection should be made by considering the limit value of the parameters to be measured. According to Article 13 of the CEMS Regulation, device selection must be;
- Certified according to Level 1 Quality Assurance System (QAS1) of the TS EN 14181 standard, by internationally recognized certification bodies/institutions,
- Conforming to the performance criteria and test methods of the TS EN 15267-3 standard,
- Having uncertainty calculations made according to the EN ISO 14956 and/or TS EN 15267-3 standards for the analyzers according to the TS EN 14181 QAS1,
- And certified by internationally recognized certification bodies/institutions for these processes.
The CEMS system selected in compliance with legal obligations should be installed in accordance with the EN14181 standard and the CEMS Regulation.
All information and documents related to the operation, installation, and operation of the CEMS system should be recorded.
Together with the installed system, a software system must be established that the Ministry of Environment and Urbanization can connect to online.
Feasibility Report; It is prepared or commissioned by the enterprise according to the format in Annex-2 of the CEMS Regulation. The prepared report must be approved by laboratories authorized within the scope of the TS EN 14181 standard.
The prepared Feasibility Report is submitted to the Governorship. The Governorship provides positive or negative feedback for the reviewed report within a maximum of 2 months. In case of a negative response, the deficiencies are corrected within the period given by the Governorship and the report is resubmitted. Following the approval of the Feasibility Report, the enterprise is obliged to perform QAS2 measurements once every 5 years, QAS3 measurements every month, and YGT measurements once a year.
Second Level Quality Assurance System (QAS2) measurements; must be carried out by laboratories authorized within the scope of the TS EN 14181 standard within 4 months at the latest after the feasibility report is approved, and the reports/results must be submitted to the Governorship.
QAS2 measurements; cover the process of determining the calibration function and validity of the system by performing parallel measurements with Standard Reference Methods (SRM) after the installation of CEMS.
In QAS2 measurements;
- Functionality test,
- Parallel measurements with SRMs,
- Evaluation of the data,
- Determination of the calibration function and validity of the CEMS,
- Calculation of variability,
- Variability test,
- Reporting
is done.
QAS2 tests are performed once every 5 years. This period can be shortened in case of a requirement by the Ministry, a change in the device in the installed system, and invalidation of the QAS2 function.
Third Level Quality Assurance System (QAS3), is the method applied to check whether the CEMS remains within the valid calibration range determined by the QAS2 method during the operation period.
QAS3 measurements can be performed by the enterprise or by a company it will subcontract.
By having the CEMS system perform zero and span readings at regular intervals, drifts and changes in sensitivity are detected, and it is checked whether these values are consistent with the characteristics determined during the QAS1 period. Reference materials are used for zero and span readings.
To maintain the operating conditions in the installation of the CEMS, control charts are used to verify that the drift and sensitivity determined during the QAS1 period are under control. Based on the results obtained from the control charts, it is determined whether maintenance is necessary for the CEMS. It is stated in the CEMS Regulation that CUSUM and SHEWART control charts can be used.
Annual Validity Test (YGT) is performed once a year with an interval of twelve months. It is checked whether the calibration function determined in QAS2 is still valid. YGT measurements are performed by laboratories authorized within the scope of the TS EN 14181 standard.
In YGT measurements;
- Functionality test,
- Parallel measurements with SRM,
- Evaluation of the data,
- Determination of the calibration function and validity of the CEMS,
- Calculation of variability,
- Variability test,
- Reporting,
is done.
As Testmer Test and Measurement Services, with our expert and experienced staff, we provide services within the scope of Continuous Emission Monitoring Systems (CEMS);
- Consultancy and preparation/approval of Feasibility reports in the QAS-1 phase,
- Performing parallel tests in QAS-2 measurements and creating calibration functions,
- Checking the validity of the calibration function and reviewing the system in YGT tests
services.