High potential to cut air pollution from Europe's power plants

Emissions of nitrogen oxides (NO_x) 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 NO_x and SO₂ — two important acidifying pollutants. Improving the environmental performance of LCPs by applying the best available techniques could have reduced NO_x 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 NO_x 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 NO_x emissions respectively.