Armscor EIA Application in support to the Atmospheric Emissions License (AEL) Application for the operation of Armscor Dockyard Foundry in Simons Town, City of Cape Town Metropolitan, Western Cape.

Armscor dockyard in Simon’s Town operates a non-ferrous foundry by producing aluminium, copper, lead and zinc base alloy metal castings. The foundry operates five (5) diesel fuel-fired furnaces: 3x 0.25T, 1x 0.5T and 1x 1Ton the need basis, probably once or twice a week. The furnaces used are; zinc furnace and gun metal/brass furnace. Armscor dockyard foundry does not carry day to day metal castings, but only operates five (5) furnaces on the need basis, probably once or twice a week. It must be noted that the five (5) furnaces do not operates simultaneously each furnace is dedicated to its desired product. Armscor dockyard foundry cast aluminium, copper, lead and zinc base alloy metal castings, as in batch process.

The metal casting involves:
-Furnaces for melting metal alloys;
-Casting of molten metal into a mould containing a cavity of the desired shape to produce a metal product;
-The castings are then removed from the mould and excess metal is removed through fettling process;
-The product may then undergo a range of processes such as polishing and surface coating or finishing before it can be dispatch.

During the above process the flue gases from five (5) furnaces and melting process are removed by the extraction fans and discharged into the atmosphere via stacks. The foundry metal casting process release the flu gases of chemical compounds such as cadmium, lead, sulphur dioxide, and other chemical compounds, depending on the furnace input. Each fuel fired furnace is fitted with an extraction hood that is linked to the ducting, filtration, and shut-off valves.