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Implementation of mercury emission reduction in Project 200+

The requirements regarding the reduction of emission of pollutants into the atmosphere have evolved over the past few decades. At present, the BAT Conclusions published in the Official Journal of the European Union on 17 August 2017 are the basis for issuing integrated licences. As intended, the installation should be adapted to the requirements set out in the BAT Conclusions within a maximum of four years from the date of their publication in the Official Journal of the EU, i.e. by 17 August 2021. For many plants, heating plants, combined heat and power plants and utilities, this involves making difficult modernization and investment decisions in order to adapt the operating parameters of the plant to the new environmental requirements by 2021.

The conclusions adopted amend the existing Industrial Emissions Directive (IED Directive). The amendments concern the following aspects:

• More stringent requirements for such pollutants as: SO₂ (sulphur dioxide), NOx (nitrogen oxides), dust and wastewater from flue gas desulphurisation plants.
• Introduction of new emission requirements for previously unregulated substances such as Hg (mercury), HCl (hydrogen chloride), HF (hydrogen fluoride) and NH3 (ammonia).
• Introduction of new monitoring requirements; annual and average daily values will apply, replacing the currently applicable monthly average values. Introduction of continuous monitoring for ammonia and mercury for large facilities.

Within a framework of implementation of units 200+ program, RAFAKO will, among other things, carry out an environmental task for reducing mercury emissions from flue gases. Mercury is one of the newly introduced components whose emissions will be supervised in accordance with emission standards resulting from the executive decision of the EU Commission. The mercury emission reduction method proposed in the project will allow the achievement of compliance of mercury emissions to the air, originating from combustion of hard coal, at the level covering the entire range required for 200MW class power-generating units.