Policy
Waste-to-Energy

Explanatory and Guidance document on Waste Incineration BREF and BAT conclusions

25th November 2019

The Waste Incineration BAT conclusions, the basis to reassess and update the environmental permits of waste incineration plants in Europe, have been adopted by the European Commission and will be published very soon on the Official Journal of the European Union. The new requirements will have to be implemented in permits of all European plants within 4 years from the date of the publication.

Despite being part of a more comprehensive document, the Waste Incineration BREF (document here), BAT conclusions are meant to be a stand-alone document that serves as a reference for permits. However, a lot of practical information which will be necessary for their implementation is missing from the document and is not otherwise available to the main users of BAT conclusions – plant operators and competent authorities.

For this reason, CEWEP, ESWET, FEAD and Euroheat & Power, the organisations that participated in the Technical Working Group for the review of the Waste Incineration BREF, decided to publish this Guidance document. It consists of a main document, an executive summary and 7 annexes, and aims to explain the most difficult issues which are left unaddressed , the needed contextual information and some proposals and forms to fill in that can be useful for the implementation and harmonisation of Waste Incineration BAT conclusions.

CONTENT of the Explanatory & Guidance document (E&G‐d):

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

MAIN DOCUMENT

ANNEX 1 – Abbreviations and acronyms with explanations + TEFs

ANNEXES 2 –NOC/OTNOC/EOT

2.a The NOC/OTNOC/R‐EOT issue

2.b NOC‐OTNOC identification for WI air emissions

2.c Detection of OTNOCs related to air emissions at stack by using control system signals

ANNEXES 3 – Monitoring and uncertainties (air emissions)

3.a The uncertainty issue

3.b About the INERIS study and standards requirements

3.c QAL2 calibration examples

3.d Upcoming standards

ANNEX 4 – Calculation of Energy efficiency according to BAT conclusions

ANNEX 5 – Comments on some BAT conclusions

ANNEXES 6 – Forms to assess the implementation of BATs in a plant

6.a BAT‐conclusions checklist for Energy‐from‐Waste installations incinerating MSW and

similar waste and/or Sewage sludge and/or Clinical waste

6.b BAT‐conclusions checklist for IBA treatment plants

ANNEX 7 – Frequently Asked Questions