Details of Aire Valley Plume Plotter

This page should be read in conjunction with How Plume Plotter Works. It provides more details specific to the Aire Valley version of Plume Plotter.

The modelling is based on the 2018 air quality assessment [1], which is an updated version of the 2017 version [2].

Stacks and buildings

Building measurements are taken from [1]. This image shows the layout of the stack and buildings modelled. North is at the top; colours and numbers indicate the heights of the buildings and the stack:

Stack measurements

All of these are taken from [1]:

The following values are used for albedo, Bowen ratio, and roughness length. Roughness length is as specified in [1]:

Emissions

The emission rates of pollutants are not given in [1], and neither is the normalised flow rate ("volume flux"). This information was obtained separately via the Environment Agency:

PollutantEmission rate
per second
Oxides of nitrogen4.13 g
Sulphur dioxide495.5 mg
Carbon monoxideN/A
Particulates275.3 mg
VOCs275.3 mg
Hydrogen chloride275.3 mg
Hydrogen flouride27.53 mg
Cadmium and thallium1.377 mg
Mercury1.377 mg
Other metals13.77 mg
Benzo(a)pyrene27.53 μg
Dioxins and furans2.753 ng
Ammonia137.7 mg
PCBs137.7 μg

Background levels

The background levels of pollutants are taken from [3]. These are:

PollutantBackground
concentration per m3
Oxides of nitrogen29 μg
Sulphur dioxide2.53 μg
Carbon monoxide519 μg
Particulates17 μg
VOCs670 ng
Hydrogen chloride290 ng
Hydrogen flouride2.46 μg
Cadmium and thallium120 pg
Mercury2.11 ng
Other metals68.46 ng
Benzo(a)pyrene143 pg
Dioxins and furans49 fg
Ammonia1.16 μg
PCBsN/A

Weather data

Weather data is taken from METAR reports from a local airport: Leeds Bradford.

Upper air data is the latest reported by the Nottingham upper air station.

References

1. Proposed Clean Energy Facility: Environmental Permit Application - Air Quality Impact Assessment. Ricardo-AEA Ltd. July 2017. Permit application EPR/ZP3537AT.

2. Proposed Clean Energy Facility: Environmental Permit Application - Air Quality Impact Assessment ADDENDUM. Ricardo-AEA Ltd. October 2018. Permit application EPR/ZP3537AT.

3. Proposed Clean Energy Facility, Aire Valley Road Keighley: Air quality, odour, dust and health impact assessment. Ricardo-AEA Ltd. March 2015. Planning application 16/06857/FUL, document "16_06857_FUL-AIR_QUALITY_IMPACT_ASSESSMENT-4609625.pdf".