Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo*, Macedonia, Serbia and Ukraine submitted national emission reduction plans (NERPs) to the Energy Community (EC) Secretariat by the deadline of end-2015.
This marks a highly important milestone in preparing for the implementation of the Large Combustion Plants Directive (as amended by Decision 2013/05/MC-EnC of the Ministerial Council), which is to commence on January 1, 2018. The directive sets maximum limits for three pollutants (sulphur dioxide, nitrogen oxides and dust), EC said. The NERPs, as an implementation option, set overall ceilings for the conglomerate of combustion plants brought under their scope, according to the press release.
The secretariat has nine months to analyze the plans and provide comments, if necessary. Furthermore, the directive allows operators of combustion plants to subject their installations to the so-called limited lifetime derogation via a written declaration by the same deadline. This means that for a maximum of 20,000 operational hours between January 1, 2018, and December 31, 2023, the plant can be kept in operation while not meeting the emission limit values of the Large Combustion Plants Directive. However, once the hours limit is reached or, in any case, from January 1, 2024, the facility must either be shut down or continue operating as a new plant – and meet the more stringent requirements on emissions into the air. Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, Serbia and Ukraine informed the secretariat of such written declarations by operators in their territories. The EC Ministerial Council has to approve the list of opted-out plants.
* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244/99 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.
