Controlling fugitive emissions in industrial valve systems

The principle “if you cannot measure it, you cannot improve it” is widely applied across process industries. For fugitive emissions—the unintended release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from pressurised equipment—this principle is critical.

Fugitive emissions are estimated to contribute up to five per cent of global greenhouse gas emissions. However, this figure is likely understated due to limitations in design assumptions and monitoring practices.

While detection and measurement are essential first steps, they do not address one of the primary causes of emissions: degradation or improper maintenance of valve packing systems. Control valves are a significant source, accounting for approximately 60% of total plant emissions. In refinery environments, this can rise to 70%, despite originating from as little as one per cent of installed assets.

Historically, fugitive emissions received limited attention. However, this has shifted as environmental and health impacts have become more widely understood.

Initiatives such as the Global Methane Pledge, introduced at COP26, aim to reduce global methane emissions by at least 30% from 2020 levels by 2030. Achieving this target could help limit global temperature rise by approximately 0.2°C by 2050.

Air quality is another critical concern. Fugitive hydrocarbon emissions contribute to the formation of ground-level ozone when nitrogen oxides (NOx) and VOCs react under sunlight and elevated temperatures. This can lead to smog formation, which is associated with significant public health risks and has driven the development of stricter emissions testing standards.

In response, industry has increasingly aligned around ISO 15848-1 as a key framework for qualifying valve fugitive emission performance.

To address fugitive emissions effectively, operators and manufacturers must adopt more robust sealing solutions.

Modern packing system designs are improving performance and reducing maintenance requirements. For example, EEEasy-Seal™ - developed by IMI - uses a combination of live loading through an internal spring and pressure energisation to maintain consistent sealing performance.

Certified to ISO 15848-1 tightness classes AM and BH, and endurance classes CC1 (20,000 cycles) and CC2 (60,000 cycles), this type of solution is engineered to:

Installation within a fixed cavity further supports consistent performance by reducing variability during operation.

The deployment of advanced packing technologies is already delivering measurable improvements. IMI has installed more than 1,900 valves (As of April 2026) equipped with EEEasy-Seal™ in applications up to API 10k pressure class, with no reported leakage.

This demonstrates how targeted engineering improvements can significantly reduce emissions from a relatively small number of high-impact components.

Although fugitive emissions may not be eliminated entirely, they can be substantially reduced through improved design, testing, and maintenance practices.

The continued development and adoption of advanced valve packing solutions are helping transform fugitive emissions from a long-standing operational challenge into a more controlled and manageable aspect of plant performance.

More information about the EEEasy-Seal™.