ENDEGS offers services for mobile degassing and emissions control in order to reduce the number of hazardous and toxic emissions that get into the air. The company operates portable combustion units burning all kind of gases, gas compounds and vapors of the hazard groups IIA, IIB and IIC and guarantee a combustion rate of almost 100 percent and no open flame. Mobile degassing and emissions treatment help to reduce toxic emissions (benzene, all aromatics and other hydrocarbons) and the global GHG (greenhouse gas) footprint (methane is significantly more dangerous for the environment than carbon dioxide).
Interview with Kai Sievers, CEO ENDEGS Group.
Easy Engineering: Which are the most innovative products/services and what special features do they have?
Kai Sievers: We developed the world’s first mobile trailer-mounted and fully autonomously operated vapor combustion unit (VCU). Our VCUs are scalable from 0.1 to 50 MW, with units available in 3, 5, 10 or 20 MW capacity. The technologies offered by ENDEGS provide a way to destroy VOC (volatile organic compounds) and HAP (hazardous air pollutants) emissions with a combustion rate of over 99,99 %. This way, we protect the environment and employees: a substance that is not emitted can do no harm.
E.E: How important are these features for the users in their work?
K.S: Our solutions are used on SEVSO sites to degas all types of tanks, containers, wagons, tankers, pipelines and columns. This way, they can be reused, loaded or unloaded. We further help our customers to prepare for downtime and maintenance and offer the temporary replacement of vapor recovery units (VRUs), flares and vapor processing systems. When these systems fail, too often vapors are simply vented into the air until they have been repaired, releasing large amounts of toxic materials – tons each day – into the environment. Replacing broken systems temporarily with vapor combustion units therefore helps to reduce emissions.
E.E: How important is innovation in your field?
K.S: ENDEGS was named TOP 100 innovator in 2021 and 2022. This award recognizes the most innovative medium-sized companies in Germany. In our company, we aim for constant innovation as innovations are especially necessary to reach our aim of continuously reducing emissions and the global GHG footprint. Our recent innovations include the expansion of trailer-mounted incinerators: We can now also offer a 3 MW VCU, in addition to our previous 5, 10 and 20 MW units. Our 3 MW unit sets a new standard to flexibility as it is especially designed for short-term projects of a few hours and emergencies. After arrival and permission, we can directly start to treat emissions environmentally friendly. Furthermore, we have recently added our new fleet of vaporizers with nitrogen tanks to our product portfolio. With our N2 vaporizers, systems and system components handling flaming liquids and gases can be purged and rendered inert. The technology can be used for the maintenance of pipelines, tanks, barges and bulk containers as well as during turnarounds. The mobile nitrogen vaporizer is ideally suited for use in emergencies and during downtimes.
Kai Sievers, CEO ENDEGS Group
E.E: How do your products/solutions impact cost effectiveness for the users?
K.S: When stationary emissions reductions systems like VRUs fail or need to be shut down due to maintenance or malfunction, facilities are no longer allowed to operate as the vapors would simply be vented into the air until the system has been repaired. In this case, large amounts of toxic materials would be released into the environment – tons each day, poisoning the air for people and nature. During such downtimes, ENDEGS mobile vapor combustion units can be used to replace a VRU temporarily and treat the vapors in its stead. This ensures that the operations of our customers are not interrupted. Downtimes are reduced to a necessary minimum and there is no need for customer’s participation in the process. Optimized procedures are enabled as well as cleaning times are plannable, parallel work in the tanks is possible and no further interim storage or transport are necessary. Instead of a shift to waste management, safe disposal at the point of origin is possible.
E.E: What kind of work do users who use these products/services do?
K.S: The technologies provided by ENDEGS are used for the degassing of tanks, pipelines and ships so that they can be loaded, unloaded, reused or cleaned. The services are carried out by ENDEGS employees. Our customers are working in a wide range of industries, for example oil and gas, chemistry, marine and shipping, fertilizer, food and automotive.
E.E: How do your products/services differ from other types on the market?
K.S: ENDEGS offers everything necessary for the whole vapor treatment process from a single source. Our portfolio includes different mobile VCUs for short-term, long-term and emergency projects, remote-controlled zone 0 robots for rent to mitigate health and safety risks and mobile nitrogen vaporizers for a variety of industrial applications (for rental or operated by ENDEGS personal). We also offer accessories for rental, including a comprehensive portfolio of pipes, hoses, condensate separators and much more. Furthermore, ENDEGS is the only company in Europe offering mobile degassing for all VOCs and HAPs of the hazard groups IIA, IIB and, more recently, IIC (products like hydrogen). The different capacities of our units (3, 5, 10 and 20 MW) with a scalable combustion, together with our experience and know-how, allows us to handle increasingly difficult products and applications. Our company also cooperates with Duisport, the port of Duisburg, in the environmentally friendly degassing of barges. Together, we created the first legal option for the environment-friendly degassing and removal of cleaning water from tanker ships. We further ensure the quality of the emissions treatment projects and their transparency at the greatest level possible. Additionally, for the degassing process, ENDEGS can assist the customers with permits (new permits and the renewal of existing ones), with participation to HAZOP, studies, MOC and authorities’ clarification.
E.E: How do your products help solve users’ problems?
K.S: By leveraging our solutions and technologies for mobile degassing and emissions control, an increased safety for all staff on site is accomplished. Due to our technology, workers are not exposed to the gases and vapors and do not need to wear any protective gear. Especially for tank cleaning, this is important as the ATEX Zone 0 robots for rent enable the remote-controlled cleaning of zones that before were very dangerous for employees and could only be entered wearing suits and masks. Using ENDEGS technology further avoids unforeseen ATEX zones as otherwise vapors and gases would gather unpredictably in the floor area. For the high safety of all staff, we are certified after ISO 45001 and ISO 9001 for a high level of occupational safety, health protection and quality assurance. This way, we ensure the protection of everyone involved in our environmentally friendly degassing and emissions control service. Another problem for many facilities and refineries is the relationship with the neighborhood which is improved as neighbors are not disturbed and unsettled through unpleasant smells and odors. Another problem are legal issues, concerning emissions, damage caused by emissions and dangerous vapors, operating permits, further additional requirements, compensation and compliance with regulations. All these issues are solved with a safe degassing process and emissions treatment.
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