Case Study: Investing in Safety and Innovation in Europe’s Evolving Chemical Sector

This article in the Fugitive Emissions Journal describes how a major European chemical manufacturer enhanced process safety by integrating Grandperspective’s scanfeld® remote gas detection system into its safety infrastructure to supplement traditional fixed-point sensors. Fixed sensors monitor air at specific locations and only trigger alarms upon direct contact, but they can miss low-level, intermittent, or off-path emissions in complex plants. To address this, the company deployed scanfeld®, which combines hyperspectral imaging with Fourier-Transform Infrared (FTIR) remote sensing to continuously detect, identify, and quantify more than 400 chemical compounds across large industrial areas — including VOCs, hydrocarbons, methane, ammonia, and other hazardous gases. A single sensor covers up to ~3 km² and detects emissions at rates as low as approximately 0.05 kg/h. During testing, the system was configured for both passive and active detection modes to monitor compounds like hydrochloric acid, enabling real-time visualization of gas behaviour and dynamic mapping of gas clouds (length, width, height, depth, and movement). Collaboration between the plant’s safety team and Grandperspective engineers also expanded the system’s spectral library, enhancing detection capabilities globally. With four scanfeld® units now operating autonomously across the site, the technology provides continuous, high-resolution situational awareness that complements fixed sensors and supports improved safety frameworks.