# Commission Implementing Decision (EU) 2017/1442 of 31 July 2017 establishing best available techniques (BAT) conclusions, under Directive 2010/75/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council, for large combustion plants (notified under document C(2017) 5225) (Text with EEA relevance), Division BAT 20: In order to prevent or reduce NOX emissions to air while limiting CO and N2O emissions to air from the combustion of coal and/or lignite, BAT is to use one or a combination of the techniques given below.

Extent: E+W+S+N.I.

Technique
Description
Applicability
a.
Combustion optimisation
See description in Section 8.3.
Generally used in combination with other techniques
Generally applicable
b.
Combination of other primary techniques for NOX reduction (e.g. air staging, fuel staging, flue-gas recirculation, low-NOX burners (LNB))
See description in Section 8.3 for each single technique.
The choice and performance of (an) appropriate (combination of) primary techniques may be influenced by the boiler design
c.
Selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR)
See description in Section 8.3.
Can be applied with ‘slip’ SCR
The applicability may be limited in the case of boilers with a high cross-sectional area preventing homogeneous mixing of NH3 and NOX.
The applicability may be limited in the case of combustion plants operated < 1 500 h/yr with highly variable boiler loads
d.
Selective catalytic reduction (SCR)
See description in Section 8.3
Not applicable to combustion plants of < 300 MWth operated < 500 h/yr.
Not generally applicable to combustion plants of < 100 MWth.
There may be technical and economic restrictions for retrofitting existing combustion plants operated between 500 h/yr and 1 500 h/yr and for existing combustion plants of ≥ 300 MWth operated < 500 h/yr
e.
Combined techniques for NOX and SOX reduction
See description in Section 8.3
Applicable on a case-by-case basis, depending on the fuel characteristics and combustion process
Table 3
BAT-associated emission levels (BAT-AELs) for NOX emissions to air from the combustion of coal and/or lignite
These BAT-AELs do not apply to plants operated < 1 500 h/yr.
In the case of coal-fired PC boiler plants put into operation no later than 1 July 1987, which are operated < 1 500 h/yr and for which SCR and/or SNCR is not applicable, the higher end of the range is 340 mg/Nm3.
For plants operated < 500 h/yr, these levels are indicative.
The lower end of the range is considered achievable when using SCR.
The higher end of the range is 175 mg/Nm3 for FBC boilers put into operation no later than 7 January 2014 and for lignite-fired PC boilers.
The higher end of the range is 220 mg/Nm3 for FBC boilers put into operation no later than 7 January 2014 and for lignite-fired PC boilers.
In the case of plants put into operation no later than 7 January 2014, the higher end of the range is 200 mg/Nm3 for plants operated ≥ 1 500 h/yr, and 220 mg/Nm3 for plants operated < 1 500 h/yr.
Combustion plant total rated thermal input(MWth)
BAT-AELs (mg/Nm3)
Yearly average
Daily average or average over the sampling period
New plant
Existing plant
New plant
Existing plant
< 100
100–150
100–270
155–200
165–330
100–300
50–100
100–180
80–130
155–210
≥ 300, FBC boiler combusting coal and/or lignite and lignite-fired PC boiler
50 – 85
< 85 – 150
80 – 125
140 – 165
≥ 300, coal-fired PC boiler
65 – 85
65 – 150
80 – 125
< 85 – 165
As an indication, the yearly average CO emission levels for existing combustion plants operated ≥ 1 500 h/yr or for new combustion plants will generally be as follows:
The higher end of the range may be up to 140 mg/Nm3 in the case of limitations due to boiler design, and/or in the case of fluidised bed boilers not fitted with secondary abatement techniques for NOX emissions reduction.
Combustion plant total rated thermal input (MWth)
CO indicative emission level (mg/Nm3)
< 300
< 30–140
≥ 300, FBC boiler combusting coal and/or lignite and lignite-fired PC boiler
< 30–100
≥ 300, coal-fired PC boiler
< 5–100

---
Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/eudn/2017/1442/annex/division/2/division/2.1/division/2.1.3/division/1 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/eu-decision-2017-1442/annex/division-2/division-2.1/division-2.1.3/division-1
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.