Sustaining the advantage of environmental technologies

`A realisation is dawning that economic development cannot be separated from environmental issues.' Not exactly a new point of view, but one which is as pertinent now as when we made it in our 1990 Environmental Special issue. Almost ten years on, we can safely say that dawn has definitely broken and sustainable economic development is now the focus of environmentalists.

There is no doubt that industry in general, and the process sector in particular, is much more attuned to environmental issues than a decade ago. Then the debate tended to centre on whether the impact of environmental protection measures on industry posed a threat or presented an opportunity. To some extent (see News Analysis p12) that debate continues - though decidedly more muted than before - but few would argue that protection of the environment is a core responsibility for the process industries and process engineers.

Environmental factors impact on the process industries at every level. `End-of-pipe' solutions to existing pollution dangers are the most common sight, but newer technologies eliminate (or at least minimise) problems at the conceptual design stage. And increasingly at board level the commerical advantages of `being seen to be green' are at last being appreciated.

All these, and more, are featured in this month's Environmental Special section. We start on page 25 with an engineering consultant's view of technology as the primary route to sustainable development. As DNV's Stephen McKay says, the challenge for engineers is to develop processes that have inherently lower environmental impact, but also offer the opportunity to capitalise on a burgeoning market for such technologies.

One company that has successfully grasped this challenge is contractor CEL, featured on page 30. Although the bulk of CEL's projects are still `end-of-pipe' solutions, operations director Ed Wilson says his company's higher value projects are those involving integrated design concepts. `There is now a concerted drive to take the concept further,' he says, `and process companies are looking to purify waste streams to achieve an additional added-value product.'

Contractors like CEL will be in the vanguard of pushing out to industry the new environmentally-focused process technologies, some of which are also highlighted in this month's issue. Two with a distinct bias towards sustainable development are those from the respective Australian and Canadian companies, Enecon and DynaMotive. Both are involved with processes that turn renewable feedstocks into valuable products, with the added benefits of energy and environmental efficiencies.

Not that UK technology companies are lagging behind their Commonwealth cousins, as we report on pages 39 and 50. Both AEA Technology and BHR have good track records in process innovation, a fact recognised by the appearance of both as shortlisted finalists in this month's Manufacturing Industry Achievement Awards, organised by PE's parent Centaur Publishing. We will bring you, and them, details of the winners next month.