CO and NOX emission limit values for biomass boilers; NOX emission limit values for stationary diesel engines; rules applicable to stationary engines operating less than 50 hours per year

Draft Minister for Agriculture Decree amending Minister for Agriculture Decree 53/2017 of 18 October 2017 on the operating conditions of combustion plants with a total rated thermal input greater than or equal to 140 MWth but less than 50 MWth and on the limit values for air pollutants emitted therefrom

Planned amendments of Draft Minister for Agriculture Decree 53/2017 of 18 October 2017 on the operating conditions of combustion plants with a total rated thermal input greater than or equal to 140 MWth but less than 50 Wth and on the limit values for air pollutants emitted therefrom (hereinafter referred to as ‘Ktr’) can be grouped in four main regulatory items:

1. CO and NOX emission limit values for biomass boilers

In terms of carbon monoxide pollutants, MCP Directive only imposes measurement obligations and does not define any emission limit values. Therefore emission limit values for carbon monoxide in Ktr are values adopted under the Member State’s own competence and taken over from previous national legislation, the transposition of which shall be amended as regards to biomass-fired plants of over 1 MW (to 375 mg/m3 instead of 1 500 mg/m3), in order to maintain emission levels achieved earlier.

Clarification of a technical nature is needed as regards NOX emission limit values of fluid biomass boilers, since limit values taken over from previous legislation, more stringent than the MCP Directive, have not been converted to standardised O2 content defined by MCP Directive.

2. NOX emission limit values for stationary diesel engines

At several points, Ktr transposed limit values pursuant to the MCP Directive instead of the more stringent values defined in the previous legislation; thus these values shall be amended in order to maintain emission levels achieved earlier.

3. Rules applicable to stationary engines operating less than 50 hours per year

With the planned amendment the exemption under the previous legislation applicable to stationary engines of over 1 MW would be reinstated, meaning that emission and measurement requirements shall not apply to stationary engines operating less than 50 hours per year. Even the MCP Directive allows for such derogations.

4. Previous exemptions applicable to certain special plants

Given the specific nature of gas engines applied in the Hungarian natural gas transportation and storage system, as well as the high ethane content of Hungarian natural gas, it is appropriate to retain any exemptions that provide an option to apply emission limit values through cost-effective investments in the group of plants affected.