Published:
05 May 2008 - Emissions of nitrogen oxides
(NOx) and sulphur dioxide (SO2) from large
combustion plants (LCP) could have been
considerably lower in 2004, a report presented
today by the European Environment Agency
says.
Power plants burning
coal, oil and/or gas are significant contributors
to European emissions of NOx and SO2 — two
important acidifying pollutants. Improving
the environmental performance of LCPs by
applying the best available techniques could
have reduced NOx emissions by up to 59 %
and SO2 emissions by as much as 80 % in
2004, the report says.
Nitrogen oxides and
sulphur dioxide emissions could have been
20 % and 61 % lower respectively if the
facilities had met the emission limits set
in the LCP Directive, whose purpose is to
reduce emissions of acidifying pollutants,
particles, and ozone precursors.
The report Air pollution
from electricity-generating large combustion
plants is based on data from 450 electricity-generating
LCPs across EU-25 in 2004. The LCPs covered
by the report account for more than 70 %
of the emissions of NOx and SO2 from this
sector and are included in the European
Pollutant Emission Register (EPER).
Combustion facilities
in EU-25 amount to 54 % and 18 % of the
reported SO2 and NOx emissions respectively.
