As even small leaks in a plant or installation make it challenging to fulfil emissions regulations, South African Capital Equipment Export Council (SACEEC) member and industrial equipment supplier AZ-Armaturen’s plug valves meet the market’s demand for valves that can assist in emissions reduction.

The findings of an investigation – conducted by AZ-Armaturen worldwide at customers over several years – indicates that the tightening regulations on emissions worldwide might result in plants getting fined or reprimanded more frequently.

The findings are that the many small leakages spread across a plant could, cumulatively, result in a failure to comply with certain regulations.

AZ-Armaturen MD Volker Knoth stresses that, in almost all plants, there are diffuse leakage sources, and “if environmental laws and regulations become stricter, these many small sources could eventually become a big issue for plants, not forgetting the industry as a whole”.

In comparison to other valves, AZ-Armaturen’s plug valves are self-lubricating and maintain the media stream and can be adjusted without dismantling, ensuring little to no alterations in regular operations when implementing this product.

There are several sealing levels and concepts available, the choice of which depends on the type of plug valve selected for the application by the end-user taking into account the operational conditions, such as pressure, temperature, media, and more.

A multitude of materials from mild steel through stainless steel, titanium, Kanthal, Monel, and others, are possible.

These valves have been introduced, partially, through AZ-Armaturen’s leveraging the experience made available through the collaborative space provided by SACEEC.

Knoth explains that the atmosphere provided by the council is trustful and collaborative, encouraging its members to help one another.

SACEEC enables the company to gain additional insight from and market its experience from around Africa in countries such as Namibia, Mozambique and Tanzania.

He highlights the value of understanding what types of expertise and products are available in these countries while getting a sense of projects and delivery timelines. Members of SACEEC can share this information, gaining insights into local sectors, and perhaps helping each other earmark businesses that could be viable partners.

“We can see what the mistakes or successes were and evaluate whether we want certain companies or entities as partners … that is very valuable, as it helps to avoid mistakes.”

He explains that avoiding mistakes is crucial when, for example, assessing valves products and applications, as the products might be used to manage or control the flow of highly dangerous gases that are poisonous or harmful to the environment and can seep into the environment through these leakages.

Currently, AZ-Armaturen’s plug valves are the only ones that meet the strictest standards – conforming to European and US regulations – for emission reduction, Knoth concludes.