Background
A leading UK lead and silver refinery producing approximately 180,000 tonnes of refined lead each year needed to complete its annual MCERTS emissions monitoring programme to demonstrate compliance with its Environmental Permit. With two furnaces operating on different schedules and a newly commissioned sampling location to validate, careful planning was essential to complete the work within the available operating window while avoiding disruption to continuous production.
The Challenge
The facility was preparing for its annual compliance assessment and needed MCERTS-accredited emissions monitoring across 19 sampling locations, including one that had never been tested. With two distinct furnaces operating at different times and the plant running continuously, all testing had to be completed safely, efficiently and without disrupting production — a schedule that had historically required two separate mobilisations.
Our Approach
Alkali's MCERTS-accredited team worked hand-in-hand with the site's environmental manager to build a monitoring programme aligned to both operational and maintenance schedules. Several sampling teams were deployed in parallel to compress the campaign into a single mobilisation.
- On-site visit to review all 19 sampling locations, including the newly commissioned point
- Planning and scheduling meeting to align the monitoring programme with both furnaces
- Final coordination meeting with operations, environmental and project management teams before mobilisation
- Full risk assessments at planning stage and again at the point of work
- On-site emissions monitoring by MCERTS-certified technicians
- Quality assurance checks using UKAS-approved methodologies under Lab No. 24303
- Detailed technical reporting fit for Environment Agency submission
The Results
Testing was completed over the course of a month without interrupting plant operations, despite an unexpected plant breakdown mid-campaign.
- All required MCERTS emissions monitoring completed in accordance with the agreed programme
- Multiple sampling teams running in parallel enabled efficient coverage of all 19 locations
- Real-time programme adaptation absorbed an unexpected plant breakdown with zero impact on the client's production schedule
- Full technical report delivered within 20 working days, enabling the client to meet regulatory reporting deadlines
Business Impact
Careful planning and coordination enabled the facility to complete its annual emissions monitoring programme in a single mobilisation rather than two separate site visits, as had been required previously. This reduced mobilisation costs, minimised operational disruption and gave the site's environmental and production teams greater flexibility throughout the year.
- No unplanned operational downtime
- Reduced compliance risk against the site's Environmental Permit
- Lower mobilisation costs through a single monitoring campaign
- Less disruption for production and environmental teams
- Improved flexibility for future maintenance and monitoring schedules
“I wanted to take a moment to formally recognise the fantastic work from your testing team — despite a few operational hiccups along the way, they adapted without hesitation and maintained a high standard throughout. I was with them on site for most of the time and saw first-hand how efficient, flexible, and easy to work with they were, which means even more given it was their first time at our site. I've also had positive feedback from others here, so it's clearly not just my impression!”
Why It Matters
Complex industrial sites require more than technical expertise — they require careful planning, clear communication and the flexibility to adapt when operations change. By coordinating multiple sampling teams and working closely with site personnel, Alkali completed the client's annual MCERTS monitoring programme within the available operating window, maintained full Environmental Permit compliance and avoided unnecessary operational disruption. If you're planning your next MCERTS monitoring programme, our team can help you achieve compliance efficiently while minimising disruption to your operations.
Planning a similar monitoring programme?
Alkali's MCERTS-accredited team (UKAS Lab No. 24303) plans and delivers multi-stack emissions campaigns across the UK — with the flexibility to keep your plant running.