Chris Franklin, MD at Ranheat Engineering – a leading UK manufacturer of wood combustion equipment – continues his series of articles exclusively for Furniture and Joinery Production. This month he writes about the MCPD (Medium Combustion Plant Directive) and its 1st January 2025 deadline.
The MCPD came out prior to 2018 under technical guidance note 5/1(18) for the combustion of waste wood. It supersedes the old guidance note PG1/12 (13)
Unlike previous guidance notes the legislation is retrospective. Two deadlines were set, plants over 5 MW must comply by the 1st January 2025 and plants below 5 MW have until the 1stJanuary 2030.
There is a “cut off” limit of less than 50kgs per hour. If an appliance cannot burn more than 49.9 kgs per hour, then the MCPD does not capture these appliances. In simple terms this equates to plants below 150 kW output.
2.7 In determining whether or not two or more appliances should be treated as a single plant with an aggregate capacity of 50 Kg/hr or more; regulators should have regard to the following points: (a) could the function of the appliances equally be undertaken by a single larger appliance? (b) are the appliances fed from the same fuel storage silo? (c) are the appliances connected to a common indirect heating system? (d) are the appliances all associated with the same business activity?
Again, in simple terms the use of multiple units below 50 Kgs per hour in the same industrial unit should be captured by the MCPD.
The MCPD does not exclude the operator from needing a part B permit for his wood manufacturing process (i.e. making furniture from wood or wood-based products such as MDF, MFC etc.) This part B permit is issued by the local authority is required even if you don’t have a wood combustion process if you process (purchase) more than 1,000 m3 of wood of wood-based products in a 12-month period. Your wood combustion process can form part of this part B permit as long as the combustion system has a net thermal input of less than 1 MW. (Equates to around 850 kW output.)
Again, in simple terms plants below 90kgs per hour do not require an annual test by an accredited test house. (this is the old, less than 0.4 MW or 300 kW output)
In addition to these regulations if a plant is registered on the RHI, (Renewable Heat Incentive) lower particulate limits and NOx limits are imposed by the scheme.
If you process (purchase) less than 1,000m3 per 12-month period but have a wood combustion process of more than 50kgs per hour but less than 90 kgs per hour you still need a permit for a SWIP (Small Waste Incineration Plant)
So, by this combination of legislation the Government has captured all aspects of the burning of industrial wood-waste.
The part B permit for wood machining is still covered by PGN 602 in it’s revised form and the regulator is the local authority Environmental Health Department. This covers all wood machining activities unless you only saw the timber and carry out no other process then the limit is 10,000m3 per 12-month period. (Sawmills)
If you have a wood combustion process over 1 MW net thermal input your combustion process is regulated by the Environment Agency, and you need an additional permit as well as your part B permit from the local authority.
Ranheat are strongly recommending that operators start the application processes for permits and permissions as most likely on older installation they will not exist. This includes planning permission for the chimney and also chimney height approval.
For further information on all types and sizes of Industrial Woodburning equipment from 75 kW upwards contact Ranheat.
01604 750005
