This document was developed for the Proposed Mandatory GHG Reporting Rule.
For the final document, please visit the final Mandatory Reporting of
Greenhouse Gases Rule.
Nitric Acid Production
- United Slates
Proposed Rule: Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Environmental Protection
Under the proposed Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) rule, owners or
operators of facilities that contain nitric acid production (as defined below) would report
emissions from nitric acid production processes and all other source categories located at the
facility for which methods are defined in the rule. Owners or operators would collect emission
data; calculate GHG emissions; and follow the specified procedures for quality assurance,
missing data, recordkeeping, and reporting.
How Is This Source Category Defined?
Under the proposal, the nitric acid production source category consists of facilities that produce weak
nitric acid (30 to 70 percent in strength) using oxidation, condensation, and absorption.
What GHGs Would Be Reported?
The proposal calls for nitric acid production facilities to report the following emissions:
• Nitrous oxide (N2O) process emissions from each nitric acid production line.
In addition, each facility would report GHG emissions for other source categories for which calculation
methods are provided in the rule. For example, facilities would report carbon dioxide (CO2), N2O, and
methane (CH4) emissions from each stationary combustion unit on site by following the requirements of
40 CFRpart 98, subpart C (General Stationary Fuel Combustion Sources). Please refer to the relevant
information sheet for a summary of the proposal for calculating and reporting emissions from any other
source categories at the facility.
How Would GHG Emissions Be Calculated?
Under the proposal, N2O process emissions for each nitric acid production line would be calculated by
multiplying the site-specific emission factor for each production line by the measured annual nitric acid
production for that line. The site-specific emission factor for each production line would be determined by
an annual performance test to measure N2O from the absorber tail gas vent and the production rate for that
production line.
When N2O abatement devices (such as nonselective catalytic reduction) are used, the N2O process
emissions would be adjusted for the amount of N2O removed using a destruction factor. The destruction
factor is the destruction efficiency specified by the abatement device manufacturer.
What Information Would Be Reported?
In addition to the information required by the General Provisions at 40 CFR 98.3(c), the proposal calls for
each nitric acid production line to report the following information:
• Annual nitric acid production capacity.
March 2009 1 EPA-430-F-09-025
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This document was developed for the Proposed Mandatory GHG Reporting Rule.
For the final document, please visit the final Mandatory Reporting of
Greenhouse Gases Rule.
• Annual nitric acid production.
• Number of operating hours in the calendar year.
• The site-specific emission factor.
• Type of nitric acid process used.
• Type of abatement device used and its destruction efficiency.
• The percent of time the abatement device operated during the calendar year.
For More Information
This series of information sheets is intended to assist reporting facilities/owners in understanding key
provisions of the proposed rule. However, these information sheets are not intended to be a substitution
for the rule. Visit EPA's Web site (www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ghgrulemaking.html) for more
information, including the proposed preamble and rule and additional information sheets on specific
industries, or go to to access the rulemaking docket (EPA-HQ OAR-2008-0508).
For questions that cannot be answered through the Web site or docket, call 1-877-GHG-l 188.
March 2009 2 EPA-430-F-09-025
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