Gulf Coast Environmental Systems

By

GCES Supports the “Zero Flaring by 2030” Initiative

open flaring

Gulf Coast Environmental Systems Supports the “Zero Flaring by 2030” Initiative

20-years-ago, the southern Texas skyline, like many other areas of “oil country”, looked like a birthday cake lined with bright burning open flares. With recent pushes towards alternative options, the “candles” have started to disappear.

In the drilling process, the oil that is retrieved from the ground is accompanied by a significant amount of gas. These gases are deemed uneconomical and generally burned off using flares. Flares are pollution control devices used to safely combust unwanted process waste gas streams and are essential for safe plant operation, and the abatement of routine waste gas emissions. This process has been used for decades and is still the most widely accepted method of process waste gas abatement because of the dangerous Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) that can be found in these streams. Routine flaring, a specific type of flaring that is incredibly common in the oil and gas industry, is a process in which flaring is done in cases where the gas does not present any safety risks. However, flares have garnered quite a bit of attention in the media with the focus on methane and CO2 and their role in climate change.

Globally, gas flares burn approximately 140 billion cubic meters of natural gas per year. This amounts to 300 million tons of CO2 being released into the atmosphere without capture. This release is a potentially massive missed opportunity; the amount of gas flared last year alone could be used to create more electricity than the entire continent of Africa uses in a year. Furthermore, gases that cannot be used for energy generation could alternatively be used for conservation and use in several other industries (ie: food and beverage, medical, etc.) providing further financial value. [Read more…]

By

2020 Pollution Control Outlook

We have all seen the industry outlook articles, claiming to name the upcoming industry leaders and trends for this year. You might notice these articles list completely irrelevant “trends” and a number of companies that paid to be called “up and coming,” Gulf Coast Environmental Systems has been recognized as an industry leader for nearly two-decades. We work in some of the most challenging environments on the planet, with some of the harshest pollutants. Because of this, we have a constant pulse on the pollution control field.

With 2020 upon us, we sat down with a few of our in-house experts and put together a list of trends and changes the industry should expect this year.

The most obvious issue facing nearly every industrial facility is the public focus on pollution and climate change. In 2019, we were presented with study after study proving a connection between pollution and serious human health risks, and even death. With 24-hour access to these studies, and widespread social media use, the general public is starting to raise their voice in protest, and demanding government action. This, in combination with increased urbanization in previously underdeveloped areas, the regulatory agencies of the world have started to demand more stringent destruction requirements.

Most of the trends we expect to see in 2020 are related to the pressure that these regulatory industries are facing, regarding specific applications and/or emissions. Below are the “hot topics” for 2020: [Read more…]

By

GCES Blog Series – VOCs

Gulf Coast Environmental Systems designs, engineers, manufactures, and offers service to a wide range of pollution control solutions, treating countless different compounds and Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs). We have put together a collection of detailed articles that explain the most common VOCs we face in our industry, and outline some of the ways we abate them. GCES is constantly adding to this list, so be sure to check back, often.

Gulf Coast Environmental Systems VOC Series:VOCs blog series

By

Is Pollution Control a New Source of Profit?

What if pollution control equipment was on the profit side of your budget sheet, instead of the expense side?expense to profit

Industrial air pollution gets a lot of slack in the media, because it has been directly linked to climate change. Regulatory agencies on nearly every continent have taken further steps to reduce the amount of emissions allowed by industrial processes, and the only method of reducing the pollutants in exhaust emissions is with industrial air pollution control equipment.

In many manufacturing processes, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are produced as a byproduct of production or processing. Industrial air pollution control equipment is used to process or abate those dangerous chemicals and compounds, so they do not end up in the air, soil, and/or water. This encompasses just about every manufacturing process you can think of; food, beverage, packaging, steel, natural gas, oil, cosmetics, automotive, paint, pharmacy, printing, et cetera. The price to install this equipment varies greatly, from tens of thousands of dollars, to millions of dollars, depending on the size of the process streams, and what types of VOCs and hazardous air pollutants the streams contain. This equipment is mandatory in most cases, and is the responsibility of the facility to purchase.

Because of the associated cost, pollution control equipment is often something facilities are not excited to purchase. But what if pollution control equipment was on the profit side of your budget sheet, instead of the expense side? There are a few ways pollution control equipment can help pay for itself, and sometimes even produce a profit for the facility.

Profit Sources:

  1. Methane Abatement
  2. Heat Recovery
  3. Solvent Recovery
  4. Carbon Trading
  5. Tax Incentives
  6. VOC & NOx Trade
  7. RNG + Green Energy

[Read more…]

By

Landfill RNG Case Study

CASE STUDY
THERMAL OXIDIZER
LANDFILL – BIOGAS | NOVEMBER 2018

Industry: Landfill/Waste Management
Project Type: Biogas
Project Goal: Building a biogas facility to develop pipeline quality natural gas
Equipment Type: Carbon Adsorber and Thermal Oxidizer

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
Gulf Coast Environmental Systems was tasked with finding a pollution control solution that could handle two combined PSA reject gas vent streams.

PROJECT OVERVIEW:
In this case, Pressure Swing Adsorption (PSA) systems are cleaning biogas from a landfill. Potentially dangerous gases like methane (CH4), carbon dioxide (CO2), sulfides, and ammonia, are created by the decomposition and evaporation of organic compounds as well as chemical reactions between waste components. These gases and other hydrocarbons are often considered greenhouse gases and play a huge role in global warming. According to the EPA, in the United States landfills are the third most prevalent source of methane and other greenhouse gases. Another risk when dealing with methane is the flammability of the gas which is incredibly high. When condensed into a small space, methane is considered an explosive, and should be handled with extreme caution. The fact that a minimal amount of oxygen is present in this particular stream of waste gas eliminates risk of the process concentration becoming combustible that could lead to flashback. However, poorly designed or maintained landfills run the risk of higher levels of oxygen entrainment leading to elevated danger and uncontrolled greenhouse gas emissions. [Read more…]

Company Profile

Gulf Coast Environmental Systems (GCES) is your custom solutions provider for pollution control systems, industrial ovens, systems engineering and field support worldwide. Our unique approach is to analyze your process stream and business objectives and propose an ideal solution or range of options to help you optimize these objectives. GCES is a one-stop shop: we provide engineering services, manufacturing, installation, commissioning and ongoing support. With our broad base of expertise and large installed global base, we are well-positioned to solve your pollution control issues.

Recent News