Explanatory note

These Regulations amend the Pollution Prevention and Control (Industrial Emissions) Regulations (Northern Ireland) 2013 (“the principal Regulations”).

They transpose Article 14(5) to (9) of Directive 2012/27/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council on energy efficiency (“the Energy Efficiency Directive”) and otherwise amend the principal regulations.

Regulation 8 inserts a new activity into Part C of Section 1.1 of Schedule 1 to the principle Regulations, namely burning any fuel or fuels in a combination of boilers, furnaces, turbines or compression ignition engines on the same site which, when added together, have a net rated thermal input exceeding 20 megawatts but less than a rated thermal input of 50 megawatts.

Schedule 13A provides for a cost benefit analysis to be carried out (in order to assess the cost and benefits of high-efficiency cogeneration, connection to district heating or otherwise utilising the waste heat to satisfy economically justified demand), for conditions to be included in a permit where the cost-benefit analysis shows that waste heat from an installation can be utilised in accordance with the Directive and exempts certain installations from having to undertake a cost benefit analysis.

These regulations also make miscellaneous amendments to the principal Regulations to correct minor errors.