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Medium Combustion Plant Directive proposals
Published:  30 January, 2015

A proposed new directive is intended to cover, for the first time, emissions of NOx, SO2 and dust from medium-sized combustion plants (MCP) with a rated thermal input between 1 and 50 MW. The general approach that has been drafted over the last 12-18 months will provide a basis on which the Latvian Presidency of the Council will start negotiations with the European Parliament. The European Parliament's ENVI Committee is expected to vote on the proposal in April or May 2015.

The new rules for combustion plants across Europe are intended to close a regulatory gap between the eco-design Directive, 2009/125/EC, and the Large Combustion Plant (LCP) Directive, part of IED 2010/75/EU. The EU recognises that emissions of pollutants to air have been reduced significantly over the past decades, but at the same time air pollution levels are still a problem in many parts of Europe, and citizens of the Union continue to be exposed to poor air quality, potentially compromising their health and wellbeing; agriculture and ecosystems are similarly affected.

The reasons why the Directive is being proposed is highlighted by scientific assessments that show the average lifetime loss for citizens of the Union due to air pollution is eight months. Emissions of pollutants from the combustion of fuel in medium combustion plants are generally not regulated at EU level although they contribute increasingly to air pollution, due in particular to an increase in the use of biomass as a fuel, driven by climate and energy policy.

Find out more by clicking here where the Combustion Engineering Association’s (CEA) Paul Whitehead discuses the proposed directive in detail.