Salmon farmer fined £70k for failure to fit gas leak alarms to ice makers
SEPA reveals penalty it imposed after routine inspection at Scottish Sea Farms' facility in Lerwick
The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) today announced that salmon farmer and processor Scottish Sea Farms (SSF) had been fined £70,000 after breaches of fluorinated greenhouse gas (F-gas) regulations were identified at its processing facility at Gremista Industrial Estate in Lerwick, Shetland.
Two civil penalties of £35,000 each were issued in January after SEPA discovered that refrigeration equipment used for making ice at the site was operating without required leakage detection systems.
In a statement issued on its website on January 26, SSF said the penalties related to historic non-compliance with F-gas regulations at the Gremista site, which it acquired in December 2021.
No leaks occurred
“The penalties relate to the absence of automatic leak detection systems on two refrigeration units, as required under the regulations. While no leaks occurred and there was no actual environmental harm, the law is clear that preventative equipment must be in place and properly maintained to minimise risk. This was not the case, and we fully accept SEPA’s findings,” stated the salmon farmer.
The issue arose from an oversight following the acquisition of the site, including an incorrect assumption that the necessary systems were already in place and reliance on contracted specialists.
“The issue arose from an oversight following the acquisition of the site, including an incorrect assumption that the necessary systems were already in place and reliance on contracted specialists. SEPA considered these circumstances and our cooperation when determining the final sanctions.
Moving away from F-gas
“The non-compliance has been fully remedied. Immediate corrective action was taken to remove the relevant refrigerant gases and bring the site back into compliance, and we have further actions under way to move away from F-gas-based systems altogether as part of a wider programme to exceed regulatory requirements and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
“We take our environmental responsibilities seriously and continue to work closely and transparently with SEPA to strengthen compliance across our operations. We have reinforced internal controls and expectations around attention to detail and regulatory compliance, and where there is any uncertainty, our teams are instructed to seek guidance from our specialist compliance function before action is taken.”
Potent greenhouse effects
SEPA explained in a press release today that fluorinated gases are potent greenhouse gases, with some having a global warming potential thousands of times greater than carbon dioxide, and that leakage detection systems are designed to identify losses quickly and prevent avoidable emissions reaching the atmosphere.
Refrigeration equipment containing 500 tonnes of CO2 equivalent or more of fluorinated greenhouse gases must be fitted with leakage detection systems that alert operators or a service company to any leakage.
During a routine compliance inspection, SEPA officers identified that Ice Plant 4 and Ice Plant 5 on the Gremista site each contained fluorinated gas above the regulatory threshold but did not have a working leakage detection system installed.
Rodney Allan, F-gas specialist in SEPA’s carbon reduction team, said: “The requirement for leakage detection systems is there to help prevent unnecessary emissions that contribute to climate change.
“Businesses that use large refrigeration systems must make sure these safety measures are in place and working properly. If operators do not meet their legal duties, SEPA will take enforcement action to protect Scotland’s environment.”
