Mechanical seals: Reducing fugitive emissions in chemical processing

As we have discussed in other blogs in this series, working in chemical and petrochemical processing involves challenging materials and environments. Infrastructure is subject to abrasive chemicals, often processed at extreme temperatures and pressures. When equipment is key to emissions containment, reliability is paramount.

Fugitive emissions defined

When businesses handle acids, solvents, slurries, and polymerising fluids, unintended leaks of gases or vapours from pressurised equipment, such as valves, pumps and connectors are a business-critical issue. These fugitive emissions pose environmental, health and financial risks.

They compromise corporate sustainability goals and risk breaching local regulatory controls, as well as having broader implications for meeting global emissions targets.

Mechanical seals contribute to emissions reduction when considered as part of a broader approach to process integrity in chemical processing environments.

The impact of fugitive emissions

These releases of vapours, gases or dust include a variety of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and/or hydrocarbons, such as methane, ethane, hexane, ethylene and propylene. All can have a local or global impact.

For example, methane has a global warming potential 27 to 30 times greater than carbon dioxide (CO₂) over a 100-year period. It is frequently cited in regulatory attempts to reduce greenhouse gases.

One reason the 2015 Paris Agreement committed nations to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 7.6% annually is to attempt to limit global temperature rise to 2°C.

Similarly, both the Environment Agency's Fugitive Emission Strategy of 2022, and the 1979 Convention on Long-Range Transboundary Air Pollution set binding targets for reducing VOCs and methane.

They translate to the European Union's Industrial Emissions Directive (2010/75/EU) and the National Emission Reduction Commitments Directive (2016/2284/EU). Both require member states to monitor and reduce emissions from industrial sources.

In the U.S., the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) enforces the Clean Air Act, including Leak Detection and Repair (LDAR) programmes to control fugitive emissions.

Therefore, reducing fugitive emissions is crucial for helping chemical and petrochemical companies, regardless of their location, to meet environmental targets, avoid fines and maintain operational integrity.

The role of carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS)

The International Energy Agency (IEA) estimates that carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS) must contribute 9% of global CO₂ reductions to meet net zero targets by 2050. Despite the incentives and regulatory obligations, chemical processing presents more acute challenges than many other industries.

Challenges for chemical processing sites

Sites share the challenge of fugitive emissions in different ways. For example, larger chemical plants may have thousands of emission sources, including rotating equipment, which process high volumes of hazardous materials under pressure.

Meanwhile, smaller sites may operate with limited budgets and technical resources, including legacy equipment with outdated, sometimes leakage-prone sealing technology. They are under budgetary pressure to balance cost-efficiency with regulatory compliance and safety.

Because no two plants are identical, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Instead, every site needs a package of standardised solutions, delivered at scale, to manage emissions effectively.

John Crane offers proven, site-wide technical solutions that work for customers across the chemical and petrochemical industries. John Crane mechanical seals and seal support systems are widely used across the chemical industry, managing process fluids at extremes of pressure, temperature and in chemically aggressive environments.

In part two of our blog, we will examine the mechanical and digital solutions that support fugitive emissions control in the chemical industry.

Read more chemical industry-specific blogs here.