Title: Environmental impact assessment of a new thermal power plant Šoštanj Block 6 in highly complex terrain

Authors: Marija Zlata Božnar; Primož Mlakar; Boštjan Grašič; Gianni Tinarelli

Addresses: MEIS d.o.o., Mali Vrh pri Šmarju 78, SI-1293 Šmarje-Sap, Slovenia ' MEIS d.o.o., Mali Vrh pri Šmarju 78, SI-1293 Šmarje-Sap, Slovenia ' MEIS d.o.o., Mali Vrh pri Šmarju 78, SI-1293 Šmarje-Sap, Slovenia ' ARIANET Srl, Via Gilino No. 9, 20128 Milano, Italy

Abstract: Slovenia is starting an important investment - Block 6 of the thermal power plant in Šoštanj located in the Velenje basin and characterised by very complex terrain. Air pollution examination as part of the environmental impact assessment is an interesting example of usage of the modern Lagrangian particle model Spray coupled with the diagnostic mass consistent wind field model Minerve for the determination of the appropriate height for the combined cooling tower. In addition, a separate study was done on a larger domain to evaluate possibilities of trans-boundary pollution, as the location is only 25 km from the Austrian border.

Keywords: air pollution; environmental impact assessment; Slovenia; complex terrain; Lagrangian particle model; Spray; Minerve; trans-boundary pollution; validation; air quality; thermal power plants; cooling towers; cooling tower height; dispersion modelling.

DOI: 10.1504/IJEP.2012.049660

International Journal of Environment and Pollution, 2012 Vol.48 No.1/2/3/4, pp.136 - 144

Published online: 19 Nov 2014 *

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