Permitted emissions from industrial scale biomass combustion plants
In the EU and UK, the biggest development in the regulations covering emissions from industrial-scale burning of biomass is the Medium Combustion Plant Directive (MCPD). This applies to plants with a thermal input in the range 1 to 50 mW and has a range of implementation dates from December 2018 to January 2030 depending on the size of the plants and whether they are new or existing. The main focus of the MCPD is on reducing NOx emissions, however for some fuel types, SO2 and dust are also regulated.
Plants larger than 50 mW are normally regulated under the existing Industrial Emissions Directive.
Plants with a thermal input of less than 1 mW are not covered by the MCPD but are often required to comply with emissions limits in order to be eligible for grant finance.