On December 6th, the new BREF for Smitheries and Foundry Industry was published in the Official Journal of the European Union. This is document, which is aimed at improving the environmental impact of companies, is of vital importance for the foundry sector.
In a context of growing concern for sustainability and environmental issues, foundry companies must be aware of the latest European regulations ruling the best environmental practices in the sector. On December 6th of 2024, the Official Journal of the European Union published the new BAT conclusions document (Best Available Techniques Reference Document), aslo known as BREF document. The BREF document gathers a set of guidelines that establishes the best available techniques to reduce the environmental impact in the foundry industry.
This new BREF document is crucial for companies that manufacture cast components, as it establishes clear and demanding criteria in areas such as emissions management, efficiency in the use of resources, waste treatment, and the improvement of air and water quality, among others. Foundry companies will have to adjust their processes to comply with the standards established in the new BREF and, in many cases, will have to implement new technologies and methodologies too. Compliance with this BREF conclusions document will be mandatory 4 years after its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.
Since the publication of the draft of the new BREF for Smitheris and Foundry Industry in February 2024, the Sustainability and Environment team at AZTERLAN has carried out significant work analyzing its content (more than 800 pages) in order to provide foundries with useful tools and methodologies to understand their current status with respect to the requirements of the new BREF and to be able to design an action plan tailored to their reality.
Our tools to help foundries adapt to the new BREF
- Comprehensive environmental assessment and diagnosis, taking into account the specifications of the new BREF, to identify areas for improvement.
- Technical advisory on the best available technologies and practices to reduce emissions, energy consumption and waste generation.
- Support in regulatory compliance, ensuring that companies comply with all legal requirements and can access possible incentives or subsidies to implement the best environmental practices.
- Customized action plans, with solutions that fit the specific needs of each company, guiding it towards resource optimization and long-term sustainability.
- Informative resources to improve understanding of the Forging and Foundry BREF and its requirements.
