EU Nations Plan to Limit Emissions of Older Power Plants

BRUSSELS, Belgium, December 4, 2003 (ENS) - Britain, Finland and Ireland have become the first European Union states to issue national emission reduction plans for older fossil fuel power stations under the 2001 law governing large combustion plants (LCP). Though the legal deadline for submission of plans passed on November 27, the European Commission is expecting more plans from other countries, a spokesperson said.

Under the LCP law, tough emission limits on sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxide (NOx) and particulate emissions from new plants were set alongside less severe limits for older plants.

Pre-1987 plants were given until 2008 to comply with these less stringent limits. For these plants, national plans reducing each pollutant's emissions collectively were also allowed as an alternative to emission limits for each individual plant.

The UK government fought hard to get the national plan option into the EU law, but industrial lobbying and an 18 month debate on implementation appear to have dampened its enthusiasm.

The Blair government has taken the position that by setting limits based on emission mass instead of concentration, a national plan would be a more flexible and cost effective way of implementing the legislation's aims.

Cooling Towers at the 2000 megawatt coal fired Cottam Power Station, Nottinghamshire, England (Photo courtesy FreeFoto)

Plants would have to give back unused allowances to the regulator when they close down, and tough penalties would be set for emitters that do not comply with their allowance.

Although the UK plan has now been formally presented to the European Commission, the government has indicated that it might still withdraw it and apply fixed emission limits instead. Benefits in terms of health and emission reductions would be higher under the emission limits approach, the government estimates.

A final decision is due in the spring.

The Irish Environment Ministry has released details of its country's national emission reduction plan, which it says in a statement will "achieve a greater level of emission reductions overall than achievable through individual LCP licensing."

Emission reductions of up to 73 percent for SO2 and 66 percent for NOx against 2002 levels are planned. The plan is also being predicted to save over €120 million in capital investment.

Finland has submitted its own national plan affecting 107 fossil fuel burning plants, but excluding gas turbine plants. An estimated €1.4 billion will be spent between now and 2016 on the introduction of emission reducing technologies.

{Published in cooperation with ENDS Environment Daily, Europe's choice for environmental news. Environmental Data Services Ltd, London. Email: envdaily@ends.co.uk}