Does your company distribute and install industrial combustion boilers and engines? Are they over 1 MWth input? You may not be aware that new plants of this size and over need to comply with the Medium Combustion Plant Directive (MCPD) through the Environment Agency (EA), even if you are replacing an existing plant.

The EA regulate the operation of combustion plants and monitor plant emissions to prevent environmental impacts on the local area. Biomass, natural gas, biogas, gas-oil boilers and gas engines are all included under the directive and are required to be permitted prior to first operation, which can include commissioning.

It is critical that your clients are aware of their environmental compliance responsibilities at the start of a project, as obtaining a permit can take between 9 and 12 months depending on its complexity. If they do not have a permit in place by first operation, the Environment Agency can enforce an equipment shutdown order, if not issue fines. 

Medium Combustion Plants (MCP)

An MCP is a plant that is between 1 MWth input and up to 50MWth input. They consist of new and existing plants, which have different permitting requirements:

• New MCPs commissioned after 20 December 2018 need an EA permit issued before first operation.
• New CHP engines installed after 20 December 2018 are also considered MCPs.
• Existing boilers installed before 20 December 2018 that are over 5MWth input need a permit issued before 01 Jan 2025.
• Existing boilers between 1 and 5 MWth input need a permit issued before 01 Jan 2030.

All new MCPs may require at least two levels of abatement, where applicable, to ensure they can meet the MCPD emission limits. For instance, a multicyclone may not be sufficient to meet the particulate matter emissions on its own and a baghouse filter may also be required.

Combined Heat and Power Plants (CHPs)

CHPs over 1 MWth input require a MCPD and Specified Generator permit with the EA. A Specified Generator is an installation made up of at least one CHP engine, of which if they are made up of more than one CHP under 1 MWth but they jointly export over 100 kWe to the National Grid, they may require either a bespoke or Standard Rules permit from the EA.

If you install new CHPs at a site that has existing CHPs that are not yet permitted, all the CHPs on that site will be required to be permitted alongside the new one(s) as part of the same Specific Generator. This means that older CHPs will need SCR abatement, where applicable, to meet the stricter emission limits, if it is not already installed.

But what about smaller plants?

Boilers less than 1 MWth input operating on virgin, straw, gas or gas-oil usually do not require permitting with the EA or a Local Authority. Boilers operating on waste wood will require either a Local Authority Part B or Part A2 (SWIP) permit depending on the size and quality of fuel.

Small CHPs that have either zero export, or an export less than 100 kWe are also exempt from MCPD and Specific Generator permitting.

If you need help working out if a permit application/variation is required, please call us on 024 7669 6512 and stay up to date with the latest compliance news at www.nfuenergy.co.uk