News

The National Institute for Industrial Environment and Risks is participating in the European MultHyFuel project intended to develop an installation strategy for multi-fuel service stations: petrol, diesel, electric, LPG, LNG, NG including hydrogen. Our experts participated in the first technical workshop on Tuesday 8 June.

Miniaturised and low-cost instruments are being increasingly used to measure ambient air quality and their deployment gives unprecedented spatial and temporal observational cover. The SESAM (data fusion with SEnSors for Air quality Mapping) tool was developed by the National Institute for Industrial Environment and Risks as part of its work for the Central Laboratory for Monitoring Air Quality (LCSQA). It serves to map pollutant concentrations at the urban level, by merging these new observations with those coming from more conventional methods and the calculations of an air quality model.

The fire that broke out at the Lubrizol premises and Normandy Logistics in September 2019 was a reminder of the importance of maintaining control and industrial risk management in a densely built-up urban setting. Against this background, the Agence nationale de la recherche (National Research Agency (ANR)) has joined together with the Normandy and Hauts-de-France regions in 2020 to launch an invitation to submit SIOMRI (Solutions Innovantes et Opérationnelles dans la Maitrise des Risques Industriels en milieu urbain et denses) (Innovative, Operational Solutions in Industrial Risk Control in densely built-up urban settings) “research-action” projects. Four of the Institute’s projects have been accepted.

Charbonnages de France, at the origin of the Institute, via the Centre d'études et de recherches (Centre for Studies and Research (Cerchar)), would have celebrated its 75th anniversary on 17 May 2021.

The Institute’s Annual Report has been published. In 2020, the National Institute for Industrial Environment and Risks celebrated its 30th anniversary. The Annual Report looks back on the year’s highlights via a retrospective and the major results of the year.

Early this year, the LIFE AskREACH project organised a set of tests on items associated with the world of sport such as yoga mats, weights, gym balls, sports shoes, swimming equipment etc. originating from 13 European countries. In fact, sports equipment may contain chemical substances falling into the SVHC category (Substance of Very High Concern).
In total, 82 samples were analysed by an independent laboratory accredited to carry out research into SVHCs.
The results are encouraging but still inadequate.

The European Project “ZEro waste Ligno-CellulOsic bio-Refineries” (ZELCOR), of which Ineris is a partner, is ending. The project was launched in 2016, has been coordinated by INRAE Versailles, and is based on the expertise of 18 partners from seven countries. Work carried out in this way has made it possible to recover “recalcitrant” bio-sourced waste materials (such as lignins and humins) in chemical products and high added value materials. Ineris is piloting work linked to durability aspects, risk management and environmental impact management.

The HyPSTER Project has just been launched as France’s first pilot site for underground storage of green hydrogen in salt cavities. Hydrogen has been identified as a strategic vector for implementing energy transition. This project benefits from strong European support, and aims to deploy a demonstrator which covers production, storage and use of hydrogen under optimal safety conditions. Following the experimental phase planned to run until 2023, the project may be deployed commercially. Ineris is supporting this project, with regard to safety issues for this kind of technology.

Coming into effect on 1 January this year, Ineris has adopted a new Objectives and Performance Contract for the 2021-2025 period. The contract was signed on 21 December last year by Minister for Ecological Transition Barbara Pompili, Ineris CEO Raymond Cointe and Chairman of the Institute’s Board of Directors, Alain Dorison.