Large Combustion Plant Directive (LCPD)

The Large Combustion Plant Directive (LCPD) was introduced by the European Parliament and Council on 23 October 2001. The directive introduced measures to control the emissions to air of oxides of nitrogen (NOx), oxides of sulphur (SOx) and particulates from large combustion plants (LCPs) (ie combustion plants with a rated thermal input of equal to or greater than 50 megawatt thermal). 

The aim of the directive is to reduce the emissions to air of these pollutants as they are damaging to human health and contribute to acid rain.

Existing operators (ie those installations licensed before 1 July 1987) were given three options to meet the requirements of the directive:

1. Accepting concentration-based Emissions Limit Values (ELVs) for the three pollutants stated within the directive;
   
   
2. Taking part in the UK National Emissions Reduction Plan (NERP) - a trading scheme based on the trading, or transfer, of mass emission based allowances;
   
   
3. Accepting the limited hours derogation where an installation is permitted to opt-out of the requirements of the NERP or ELVs (providing they do not operate for more than 20,000 operating hours between 1 January 2008 and 31 December 2015, at which point or sooner they will cease to operate).  

New operators (those installations first permitted between 1 July 1987 and 27 November 2002 and all installations first permitted after 27 November 2002) are required to meet the ELV values set out in the directive or in accordance with Best Available Technique (BAT) as defined under the Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) regulations. 

The NERP, introduced in the UK through the Large Combustion (National Emission Reduction Plan) Regulations 2007, has been effective since 1 January 2008 and permits participating installations to trade or transfer allowances. Allowances are allocated by the Department for Environment Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) to cover annual emissions of NOx, SOx and particulates with other NERP participants. 

The Large Combustion Plants (National Emission Reduction Plan) Regulations 2007 within the UK NERP established a register of participating LCPs which records any trade or transfer of allowances. The Environment Agency (England and Wales) maintains the register on behalf of the three UK environmental regulators (Environment Agency, SEPA and the Northern Ireland Environment Agency).