From 2008, UK coal- and oil-fired power stations have been governed by the Large Combustion Plant Directive. This set new limits on the amounts of Sulphur Dioxide (SOx), Nitrous Oxides (NOx) and dust power stations can emit.
- Step 1
Power stations had to choose whether to be part of LCPD or to request a limited life derogation (opt out).
Power stations which opted-out are allowed to run for 20,000 hours, or until 2015, whichever comes sooner. - Step 2
Those power stations which are part of LCPD had to choose to be governed in one of two ways:
– Emission Limit Value (ELV)
The power station must meet specific limits to the amounts of pollutants produced on a “milligramme per cubic metre of waste gas“ basis.*)
– National Emission Reduction Plan (NERP)
A company is given an overall allowance (= bubble: amount of a pollutant that can be emitted per year) of emissions it may produce.*) The emission allowances issued under NERP are tradable within a member state. - Step 3
In addition to the above, power plants must reduce Nitrous Oxide emissions from 500 mg/Nm3 to 200 mg/Nm3 by January 1, 2016. This will entail fitting selective catalytic reduction (SCR) equipment.
*) Due to the Environment Agency regulatory framework, those stations which chose ELV were allocated an
annual limit of emissions (called a company B limit) and those stations that chose NERP were allocated site
specific annual emission limit values.
|
Installation |
Operator |
Fuel |
Installed capacity |
Number of boilers |
Number of plant |
Capacity opted in1) |
Capacity opted out2) |
FGD3) status | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
(MWe) |
|
|
(MW) |
(MW) |
| ||||||
| ||||||||||||||
|
Drax |
Drax Power |
Coal |
3,960 |
6 |
1 |
3,960 |
0 |
Fitted | ||||||
|
Eggborough |
British Energy |
Coal |
2,000 |
4 |
1 |
2,000 |
0 |
2 units fitted | ||||||
|
Cottam |
EDF Energy |
Coal |
2,000 |
4 |
1 |
2,000 |
0 |
Fitted | ||||||
|
Ferrybridge |
Scottish & Southern Energy |
Coal |
2,000 |
4 |
2 |
1,000 |
1,000 |
Under construction | ||||||
|
Fiddlers Ferry |
Scottish & Southern Energy |
Coal |
2,000 |
4 |
1 |
2,000 |
0 |
Under construction | ||||||
|
Didcot A |
RWE npower |
Coal |
2,000 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
2,000 |
No FGD | ||||||
|
Tilbury |
RWE npower |
Coal |
1,020 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
1,020 |
No FGD | ||||||
|
Kingsnorth |
E.ON UK |
Coal |
2,000 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
2,000 |
No FGD | ||||||
|
Ratcliffe |
E.ON UK |
Coal |
2,000 |
4 |
1 |
2,000 |
0 |
Fitted | ||||||
|
Ironbridge |
E.ON UK |
Coal |
1,000 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1,000 |
No FGD | ||||||
|
Rugeley |
International Power |
Coal |
1,000 |
2 |
1 |
1,000 |
0 |
Under construction | ||||||
|
West Burton |
EDF Energy |
Coal |
2,000 |
4 |
2 |
2,000 |
0 |
Fitted | ||||||
|
Peterhead |
Scottish & Southern Energy |
CCGT |
1,320 |
2 |
1 |
1,320 |
0 |
N/A | ||||||
|
Longannet |
Scottish Power |
Coal |
2,304 |
4 |
1 |
2,304 |
0 |
Under construction | ||||||
|
Cockenzie |
Scottish Power |
Coal |
1,152 |
4 |
2 |
0 |
1,152 |
No FGD | ||||||
|
Aberthaw |
RWE npower |
Coal |
1,500 |
3 |
1 |
1,500 |
0 |
Under construction | ||||||
|
Kilroot |
AES |
Coal/Oil |
520 |
2 |
1 |
520 |
0 |
Under construction | ||||||
|
Uskmouth |
Uskmouth Power |
Coal |
393 |
3 |
1 |
393 |
0 |
Fitted | ||||||
|
Littlebrook |
RWE npower |
Oil |
1,370 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
1,370 |
No FGD | ||||||
|
Fawley |
RWE npower |
Oil |
1,000 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1,000 |
No FGD | ||||||
|
Grain |
E.ON UK |
Oil |
1,300 |
2 |
1 |
0 |
1,300 |
No FGD | ||||||
|
Total |
|
|
33,839 |
71 |
25 |
21,997 |
11,842 |
| ||||||