Atmospheric pollution: large combustion plants, limitation of emissions (amend. direct. 88/609/EEC)

OBJECTIVE: amendment of Directive 88/609/EEC on the limitation of emissions of certain pollutants into the air from large combustion plants SUBSTANCE: The proposed amendment of Directive 88/609/EEC seeks to integrate into the original Directive the technical progress achieved in the large combustion plant sector over the last 15 years. It is an important element in the implementation of the Community strategy to combat acidification and in the measures seeking to reduce tropospheric ozone levels in the Community. The central elements of this revision concern: - the updating of the emission limit values applicable to combustion plants put into operation after 1 January 2000, these values being differentiated on the basis of size of the installation and type of fuel used; - the extension of the scope to include gas turbines. The other new aspects of the proposal include: - the updating of the scope for fuels covered, notably by clarifying the relationship with the Directives dealing with waste incineration and by addressing the use of biomass as a source of energy; - the promotion of the development of combined heat and power generation; - the updating of provisions concerning abnormal operating conditions; - the reinforcement of provisions concerning monitoring of emissions (including those from existing installations) and compliance with limit values; - the updating of provisions concerning the annual emissions inventory for SO2 and NOx to include data from both new and existing installations on an individual basis and to include data concerning energy consumption in order to provide information on trends in emission factors. �