Sustainable chlorine production in the spotlight at European Technical Conference

Euro Chlor held its tenth Technical Conference & Exhibition in May 2017; sharing best practices and new technological developments in the areas of health, safety and environmental protection.

Chairman of the Euro Chlor Management Committee Dieter Schnepel (Dow Deutschland) opened this Berlin edition of the Conference, welcoming 360 participants from 34 countries to the theme: sustainable chlorine production and the road to continuous improvement. He highlighted that our industry will continue to develop in the years ahead of us, as not only will mercury technology for the production of chlorine, caustic and hydrogen soon disappear, but our high energy demand – inherent to the chlor-alkali production – means we need to find increasingly efficient and sustainable ways of producing energy.

These and many other topics returned during the conference and in the exhibition, with 46 exhibitors presenting their equipment and those services they offer to our industry. Apart from the mercury challenge, issues like the effects of EMF directives on our industry and the protection of our worker’s physical and mental health were some of the many discussed subjects. Within the mercury context, Christopher Allen, Head of the Industrial Emissions and Safety Unit at the European Commission, presented the regulatory framework on the mercury subject. He also expressed his appreciation for our industry’s collaboration, openness and willingness to share mercury information.

This global, collaborative concept closed out the conference where Euro Chlor executive director Dolf van Wijk stated that “transparency and working together is one of our shared key values”.