Page 1 of 3

(Previously Supplementary Information Note 3 Petroleum (Consolidation) Act 1928)

Vapour Emission Controls

A draft Proposal for Council Directive on the Control of Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) Emission
resulting from the Storage of Petrol and its Distribution from Terminals to Petrol Filling Stations has
commenced its passage through the European Community legislative process. It is expected that
adoption of the Directive may take up to eighteen months.

This Stage One Directive is one of a series aimed at reducing VOC emissions in the twelve member
states. The first step was the adoption last year of Directive 91/441/EEC mandating automobile VOC
emission controls, i.e. catalytic converters in exhaust systems and small carbon canisters for
evaporative emission controls. The Commission is currently preparing a Directive on automobile
refuelling emission controls.

The Directive applies to the storage, leading and transport of petroleum spirit from refinery or
intermediate distribution terminals to petrol filling stations. Petroleum spirit is defined as any petroleum
distillate (except 100% propane or butane) with a Reid Vapour Pressure of 27.6k Pa (4 psi) or more
intended for use as a fuel in an internal combustion.

Requirements

Specific technical requirements are listed with target values for VOC emissions set down solely for
reference purposes. Member states may, however, accept other technical measures for emission
controls if these are demonstrated to have at least the same efficiency as those listed.

Storage at terminals

The technical measures proposed are that all petroleum spirit storage tanks:-

i Should be painted in a light colour if above ground and fitted with;

ii An external floating roof with primary and secondary seals achieving at least 95% reduction in
emissions compared to a fixed roof tank without controls; or

iii An internal floating roof achieving at least a 90% emissions reduction; or

iv Be connected to a vapour recovery unit (VRU).

Petroleum spirit loading facilities

The technical requirements proposed at that:-

i Road tankers must be bottom loaded.

ii Rail tankers can still be top loaded but no splash loading will be permitted.

iii Vapours displaced during loading will have to be fed to a VRU with a mean hourly vent emission
limit of 35 g/m 3 ;

iv Incineration will be permissible for marine loading if vapour recovery is considered unsafe or
technically impossible because of the volume of vapour to be processed;

v Vapour collection systems will have to be checked for leaks at least every three months;

vi Product loading will have to be halted if a leak of petroleum spirit or vapour occurs.
Fire Safety Public Advice
Petrol Vapour Emission Controls
Ref FS- PAN716 Issue/Revision Date 01/07/2011 Review Date 01/08/2014 Version: 1.0

Page 2 of 3
In addition to permit cross border trade, road loading terminals will have to be fitted with specific
loading equipment. Loading arms and vapour hoses designed for tankers to the Institute of Petroleum
Bottom Loading Code of Practice will comply with the standard. The proposals are that terminals at
which bottom loading is required would initially need at least one loading arm meeting the specified
design with all loading facilities meeting the specification ten years after the date of the adoption of the
Directive.

Mobile Containers

It is proposed that the design and operation of road tanker, rail tankers and barges shall be regulated
if used for the carriage of petroleum spirit. Only those mobile containers that comply with the stated
requirements would be allowed to load at facilities where vapour emission controls are mandated. In
addition, the requirements apply to all new road and rail tankers from one year after the date of the
adoption of the Directive and to new marine vessels from four years after adoption. The requirements
are that:-

i Road tankers will have to be designed for vapour balancing at petrol filling stations;

ii All mobile containers will have to be designed and operated to retain any residual petrol vapours
after offloading and until subsequent refilling, except for losses through pressure relief valves;

iii If after offloading petrol a mobile container is subsequently used for products other than VOCs, then
the vapours may be released into the atmosphere at places where there is no risk to human health or
the environment;

iv Road tankers will have to be tested at intervals not exceeding three months;

v Pressure/vacuum valves will have to be inspected on all mobile containers at least every six months.

Petrol Filling Stations

The proposed requirements at petrol filling stations are that;

i Vapour balancing (Stage 1b) back to the road tanker during petroleum spirit deliveries will have to be
implemented.

ii The delivery must cease if a vapour leak occurs.

Implementation Timetable

The required implementation of controls is phased and, for existing sites, is dependent on the annual
petroleum spirit throughput. There will be an interim phase comprising one year from the date of
adoption of the Directive during which time the Directive will be transposed into national legislation,
followed by three consecutive phases of three years each. It is anticipated, therefore, that all phases
will be completed by 2003 (see programme below).

Other Provisions

The draft Directive proposes that member states may impose more stringent measures for storage
and loading installations in geographical locations where it is deemed necessary for human health or
environmental well being. This provision does not extend to petrol filling stations.

Product recovered from a VRU will be exempted from exercise duties and other charges on motor
spirit production.



Page 3 of 3
EC Draft Stage 1 Directive: Phasing Throughput Proposals

DA(1)
1993(2)
1994 1997 2000 2003
Interim

Phase
Phase 1


Phase 2

Phase 3

Requirements One year
from DA
4 years from DA 7 years from DA 10 years
from DA
1. Petrol Filling Stations
Vapour balancing on
deliveries
All New (3) 500,000 litres/year or all
sites with habitation above
premises in urban areas.
200,000 litres a year All Sites
2. Road Tankers
Bottom Loading facilities
3. Road and / or Rail
Loading -
Vapour collection +
recovery
4. Storage Tanks
Controls (floating roofs or
tank vapour collection +
recovery)



All New



50 kt/y



25 kt/y



All Sites
5. Marine Loading Vapour
collection + recovery
Not
Applicable
All New 25 kt/y All Sites

Notes:-

1 DA = Date of adoption

2 The dates shown are ESTIMATED dates for completion of each phase

3 NEW = Not having an operating or construction licence prior to DA

Specification No 19 (shortly to be revised) will address the forthcoming Directive by recommending for all new and
redeveloped sites the provision of dormant pipework and the strategic placement of vent stacks and fill points.
FS13/1/3