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The LCP directive - a brief summary

The Large Combustion Plant directive (2001/80/EC, updating 88/609/EEC), or LCP directive, specifies emission limits for plant which use combustible fuels to generate electricity and/or heat, and have a maximum thermal input greater than 50 MW.

One measure of the environmental performance of a plant is the concentration of pollutants in the flue or exhaust gases resulting from combustion. Part of the LCP directive sets Emission Limit Values (ELVs) for SO2, NOx and dust (particulate matter for plants expressed as maximum concentrations of pollutants in the exhaust gases in milligrams per cubic metre (mg/Nm3). (Arguably, a better measure is the amount of pollution per unit output of the plant.)

Increasing excess air lowers the concentrations of flue gas pollutants, but not the total mass of emission. In order to prevent meeting ELVs being met by adding excess air/oxygen, maximum concentrations of oxygen in the exhaust gas may be specified. The LCP directive assumes an oxygen content by volume in the waste gas of 3% in the case of liquid and gaseous fuels, 6% in the case of solid fuels and 15% in the case of gas turbines.

The 2001 LCP directive sets ELVs for both new and existing plants. New plants are defined as those that are either licenced before 27 November 2002 or put into operation after 27 November 2003. The ELVs that apply to these new plants are presented in Table 1, below.

In the 2001 LCP directive, existing plants are separated into two categories: those built before 1988 (i.e. the ones that were called "existing" in the 88/609/EEC directive), and those built from 1988 up to 2003 (i.e. the ones that were called "new" in the 88/609/EEC directive).

For the latter the ELVs in directive 88/609/EEC have applied since 1988. The new directive will not only mean a tightening-up of the requirements for post-1988 plants, but also the introduction of ELVs for pre-1988 ones. See Table 2.

According to the directive, the Commission was to have submitted a review report to the European Parliament by the end of 2004, which could be followed up with a proposal for revision. In the review it was to investigate possibilities for further emission reductions, analysing among other things the need for further measures, costs and advantages of further emission reductions in the power plant sector compared to other sectors, and the technical and economical feasibility of further emission reductions.

In December 2007, the Commission proposed draft legislation to further reduce emissions from industrial installations regulated under the 1996 integrated pollution prevention and control (IPPC) directive.

The idea is now to merge the IPPC directive and six sectoral directives, including the LCP directive, into a single new industrial emissions directive. Minimum emission limit values in certain industrial sectors should be tightened – particularly for large combustion plants where progress to reduce pollution is insufficient.

It is also proposed that the scope be extended to include medium-sized combustion plants, i.e. between 20 and 50 megawatts thermal input.

Table 1. Emission limit values for SO2 and NOx from plants to be built after 2003 (mg/m3).

1 Where the emission limit values for SO2 cannot be met due to the characteristics of the fuel, installations smaller than 300 MWth shall achieve either 300 mg/m3 SO2 or a rate of desulphurisation of at least 92%. Larger plants must achieve rate of desulphurisation of at least or 95% and maximum 400 mgSO2/m3.

2 Specifically for gas turbines using natural gas, the limit value in most cases being 50 mg NOx/m3.

3 Linear decrease.

Table 2. Emission limit values to be applied from 1 January 2008 for SO2 and NOx from existing (built before 2003) plants (mg/m3).

1 Where the emission limits for SO2 cannot be met due to the characteristics of the fuel, various rates of desulphurisation (from 60 to 94%, with the highest rate applicable for plants greater than 500 MWth) shall be achieved.

2 Linear decrease.

3 From 1 January 2016 the emission limit value is 200 mg NOx/m3.

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Last modified: 19 March 2008.