Industrial system discharges

INERIS contributes to reducing and controlling emissions from industrial systems. To this end, the Institute has expertise across the entire data acquisition chain, from measurement and processing to interpretation. This expertise leads to the de nd formulation of recommendations based in particular on the best available techniques (BAT).

Proposing monitoring methodologies and strategies tailored to the characterisation of emissions

INERIS is able to identify the various challenges and development needs relating to industrial discharge monitoring strategies and methods, taking into account regulatory and technological developments, through its involvement with stakeholders in this sector. Ineris coordinates reference laboratory networks for air and water monitoring (LCSQA and Aquaref), runs the NORMAN network, and chairs several French (AFNOR) and European (CEN) standardisation committees.

The Institute also organises interlaboratory comparisons (CIL) of emissions into the air and water on real matrices or those generated by a test bench. These are valuable tools for observing and improving the practices of samplers and laboratories.
INERIS conducts research projects, participates in standardisation work and drafts technical reports and guides to develop and promote the application of physical, chemical and biological methods for characterising industrial emissions, with a particular focus on:
-    respond to emerging challenges related to emissions into the air and water, such as lowering limit values and characterising emerging pollutants;
-    better characterise uncontrolled (diffuse) industrial emissions into the air, and
-    propose a new integrated strategy for the chemical and biological characterisation of emissions.

Make use of emissions data to help identify appropriate reduction measures and assess their effectiveness

The amended decree of 31 January 2008 on the "register and annual declaration of pollutant emissions and transfers and waste" entrusts INERIS with hosting the data collection application (GEREP), managing the database thus collected (BDREP) and reporting to the French (IREP) and European (European Industrial Emissions Portal) pollutant emission registers. It should be noted that the European register is evolving in accordance with the IEPR (Industrial Emissions Portal Regulation) adopted in 2024 to replace the E-PRTR (European Pollutant Release and Transfer Register Regulation).
This mission reinforces INERIS's involvement in analysing and interpreting the data reported, in order to draw conclusions on the effectiveness of public policies and regulations related to the control of pollutant emissions, or on the impact of technological developments. In addition, the deployment of innovative tools in monitoring strategies generates new types of data for which INERIS must contribute to defining data storage formats and processing and interpretation methodologies so that they can ultimately be incorporated into regulations.

Participating in the definition of BATs at European level, their implementation and the evaluation of reduction strategies

INERIS supports public authorities, experts and industrialists in the implementation of best available techniques (BAT) in the industrial sector. INERIS participates in European work on the development of these BATs, described in reference documents called "BREFs" (Best Available Techniques Reference Documents) and "conclusions on BATs". The Ministry for Ecological Transition has specifically requested the Institute's assistance in revising the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) with version 2 of which came into force in August 2024. INERIS makes the texts of the IED Directive and its transposition, the BREFs and the application guides available on the AIDA portal.
BATs are governed by various regulations (ICPE, REACH, WFD, air quality, etc.), and INERIS highlights the potential synergies between them before incorporating the new challenges of the BAT development process (decarbonisation, substitution, metrology, use of biological tools, etc.) into its expertise.
Finally, the Institute's economic position is consolidated through strategic partnerships aimed at finding the right solutions to reduce emissions, particularly industrial emissions (cost/benefit analyses, cost/efficiency analyses, reference costs).

A thematic dossier describes our support work relating to the implementation of the IED Directive and the characterisation of industrial emissions (french only).

Proposing monitoring methodologies and strategies tailored to the characterisation of emissions

Make use of emissions data to help identify appropriate reduction measures and assess their effectiveness

Participating in the definition of BATs at European level, their implementation and the evaluation of reduction strategies

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