2.B.5 - Carbide Production

During the German Reunification period, calcium carbide production took place primarily in the new German Länder. A short time later, production there was discontinued and only one producer remained in the old German Länder. In the period under consideration, this producer cut its production by about 50 per cent.

According to the responsible specialised association within the VCI, no silicon carbide has been produced in Germany since 1993. Emissions from this process thus no longer occur.

Since Germany has only one producer, the relevant data must be kept confidential. The only published data consists of that for amounts produced in the former GDR. That data was published, until 1989, by that country's central statistical authority. Those figures were used in combination with existing estimates for 1991 and 1992 to interpolate production in the new German Länder in 1990.

In covered furnaces, producers collect all of the carbon monoxide produced in the process and recycle it for further use. Following such use for energy recovery – i.e., following its combustion to produce carbon dioxide – it serves as an auxiliary substance for production of lime nitrogen and secondary products. Reactions in these processes yield carbon dioxide in mineral form, as black chalk. In this form, it is used in agriculture. Upon request, the relevant producer provides the German Environment Agency with data on amounts produced.

The emission factor for TSP is provided by the producer and is also confidential.

Because of a technical mistake, the EF of TSP, PM₁₀ and PM_2.5 are corrected for the year 2017.

At the moment, no category-specific improvements are planned.