NOx emission abatement in EU power stations: results and response to the acidification strategy

Following discussions on acidification in the eighties, the European Community came to a decision on NOx emission by power stations in the framework of Directive 88/609/EC on the limitation of emissions of certain pollutants from Large Combustion Installations. Within the Member States different strategies and technical measures have been applied to meet the obligations. It appears that the target for the year 1998 was already met in 1990 for the average emissions of LCI in the Community as a whole. As an example of recent developments the power station emissions in the Netherlands will be presented. The European Community is developing a Community strategy to combat acidification. The Electricity Supply Industry has serious reservations about the strategy. This will be discussed together with a case study for the Netherlands. It will be shown that RAINS is not an appropriate tool for quantitative allocation of emission reduction goals to the Member States of the European Community. A strategy is preferred that proceeds by successive stages, accompanied by monitoring of the environmental improvements. This approach enables us to integrate the progress achieved in environmental quality and emission reduction techniques into modelling works and cost/benefits assessment studies.