Category: Things to know

Current standards for plant design and construction

Not only do bulk material plants and dedusting systems need to comply with standards for air filters, HEPA filters and filter media, there are many more regulations, guidelines and requirements that we need to and want to take into account.

DIN EN ISO 9001 for certified quality management
This standard specifies quality management system requirements. It is the actual management system according to which companies are certified. AML Anlagentechnik GmbH und Co. KG is certified – in order to guarantee high-quality products and engineering services over the long term.

TA Luft 2021 for uniform air pollution requirements
Technical Instructions on Air Quality Control (in short: TA Luft) puts Section 5, Paragraphs 1 and 2 of the Federal Immission Control Act (BImSchG) into concrete terms. The aim of TA Luft is to provide the authorities, operators and plant manufacturers with uniform standards on a national level.
Before a technical plant is approved, the authorities check the extent to which it could be harmful to both the people and the environment around it. TA Luft specifies permissible emission and immission values which form the basis for these requirements. It clarifies, for example, the maximum air pollution levels for fine particulates, ammonia or nitrogen oxides.
With the 2021 revision, the government’s cabinet is once again tightening the requirements for technical plants requiring approval under the Immission Control Act.

DIN EN 620 for continuous handling equipment and systems
This standard deals with the technical requirements for fixed belt conveyors and systems designed for the continuous transport of bulk materials. It standardizes installation, design, operation, maintenance and cleaning.

TA Lärm for protection against the harmful effects of noise
The Technical Instructions for Noise Abatement is the sixth General Administrative Regulation of the Federal Immission Control Act. It is intended to protect the vicinity and the general public from harmful environmental effects caused by noise. One thing it determines are the reference values for noise immissions from plants, which – for example – are 55 decibels during the day for general residential areas.

Machinery Directive 2006/42/EG for a standard level of protection against accidents
This directive sets uniform requirements for health and safety. It applies to manufacturers as well as operators and distributors of machinery within the European Economic Area (EEA). It enables free trade in machinery.

VDI Standard 3790 Sheet 3 for the calculation of diffuse dust emissions
The directive entitled “Environmental meteorology – Emission of gases, odours and dusts from diffuse sources – Storage, transhipment and transportation of bulk materials” deals with diffuse dust emissions arising from the storage, handling and transport of bulk materials. Its aim: to estimate emission factors since it is currently not possible to measure dust emissions during a plant’s approval process. The VDI guideline is an essential tool for making the necessary emission projections.

More efficient plants for a better future

We will continue to have to contend with rising energy costs in the future. At AML, designing industrial plants and filter systems for dedusting technology as efficiently as possible is our way of contributing to a better future.

Dust filters for a higher efficiency

Our engineering is focused on developing extraction and filtration systems for controlling industrial air pollution that do more than just meet current emission and environmental protection requirements. Due to their compact design and first-class workmanship, our dedusting filters already save energy during the process and can thus increase a plant’s economic efficiency. Years of experience with a wide variety of bulk materials and a range of plants enable us to set new standards and achieve optimization in this regard time and again.

Improvement in the use of available resources

Energy efficiency is not only important in terms of protecting the environment, it often significantly improves the utilization of available resources. Efficient components and processes therefore have an effect in all areas of a plant. Efficient control systems, simpler processes, shorter distances and better use of existing resources are opportunities to make significant cost savings to our customers’ projects, often by simple means.

Funding opportunities

How to benefit from subsidies for more efficient industrial equipment and dedusting systems

Anyone planning to invest in a new industrial plant or dedusting technology in Germany, or to optimize an existing plant, has the opportunity to receive a considerable amount in subsidies. Subsidies of up to 40 % can be granted for our plants that are eligible for subsidies.

Germany’s Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control (BAFA) and the investment and development bank Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) offer a federal funding programme to increase energy efficiency in companies. The modules “Cross-sectional technologies” and “Energy-related optimization of plants and processes” offer subsidies that can cover up to 40 % of costs (up to a maximum of €200,000 and €10 million respectively). We would be happy to help you apply for subsidies and implement the measures. Click here to go directly to the subsidy application.

Who is eligible to apply?

Small and medium-sized enterprises with up to 250 employees can benefit from the 40 % investment subsidy. Annual sales may not exceed 50 million euros and annual balance sheet totals may not exceed 43 million euros.

Large companies that exceed the above thresholds may also apply. In this case, the subsidy rate is reduced by ten percentage points.

What are cross-sectional technologies?

Modul 1 promotes cross-sectional technologies. These include:

Electric motors and drives
Pumps for industrial and commercial use
Ventilators
Compressed air systems and the control systems governing them
Plants for waste heat utilization and/or heat recovery from wastewater
Insulation for industrial plants and/or plant components
Frequency converters

Who is eligible for funding?

Specific measures pertaining to “cross-sectional technologies” (Module 1) can be subsidized. These include the replacement or acquisition of highly efficient systems or aggregates with a net investment volume of at least 2,000 euros in cross-sectional technologies. Subsidies are only available for the above-mentioned cross-sectional technologies and not for the system into which they are integrated.

Subsidies can also flow into the “Energy-related optimization of plants and processes” (Module 4). This includes both the replacement and upgrade of cross-sectional technologies and the technical systems into which they are integrated. This applies as well to plant peripherals such as ducts and filters, for example.

Companies interested in applying will need an energy concept from an expert approved by BAFA. AML is happy to put you in touch.

How high are the subsidies?

The subsidy amount varies depending on the module. For “cross-sectional technologies” (specific measures), up to 40 % can be covered for small and medium-sized companies and 30 % for large companies. The maximum subsidy is 200,000 euros.

For the “Energy-related optimization of plants and processes”, 500 and/or 700 euros (SMEs) are available for each tonne of CO₂ saved. Subsidies are limited to 30 or 40 % of the investment costs eligible to receive funding, up to a maximum of 10 million euros.

Applying

Supply and service contracts may only be awarded once BAFA/KfW has approved the application and a subsidy notification has been received by BAFA - with the exception of planning and consulting services.

Review of the application

Is usually done based on manufacturer certificates and product datasheets and possibly through technical concepts approved by an expert.

Determination of the subsidy

Once an application is approved, the maximum subsidy amount is determined on the basis of the planned costs for the measure (for individual measures) and the CO2 savings. The subsidy is paid out once the system has been installed and proof of use has been verified.

Implementation deadline

The system must be installed and ready for operation within 24 months. The approval period begins with the date of the approval/when the subsidy notification is received by BAFA.