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Back to SearchFollowing an amendment to UK Environmental Regulations, the clock is now ticking for owners and operators of Medium Combustion Plants (MCPs) to control emissions and ensure compliance with the new legislation.
MCPs are used for a variety of functions including power generation and heating. Units are typically found in larger buildings such as hotels, hospitals, offices, as well as in installations for manufacturing and energy production.
In 2015 the European Union (EU) passed Directive 2015/2193 with the aim of reducing MCP emissions and mitigating the effects of resulting pollutants on human health and the environment. In December 2017, the EU directive passed into UK law through the amendment of Environmental Permitting Regulations (England & Wales) 2016, and the equivalent regulations in Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The new regime places limits on emissions of sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOX) and dust into the air from MCPs with a rating between 1 and 50 thermal megawatts (MWth. It also sets rules for monitoring emissions of carbon monoxide (CO).
If you have an existing plant
Existing MCPs fall into two categories under the new rules. For plants that use more than 5 MWth of fuel (and were not already permitted), permits must be in place before 1 January 2024 and compliance with emission limit values must be by 1 January 2025.
Plants that use less than 5 MWth of fuel have slightly longer to comply. Permits must be in place before 1 January 2029 and compliance with emission limit values must be by 1 January 2030.
If you have a new plant
New MCP plants must have permits in place and comply with emission limit values by 20 December 2018.
How can GHD help?
With comprehensive guidance on the MCP regime yet to emerge from the UK Government, owners and operators are faced with navigating this complex and impending legislation in isolation.
With strong capability in environmental compliance and engineering best practice, GHD can help you to successfully apply for a permit (or exemption), meet emission limit values, and give clear guidance on the detail of the legislation, ensuring timely compliance and minimal impact on business operations.
The company is currently helping clients to complete MCP assessments of sites across the UK, supporting early identification of risk and timely compliance.