Filter By

Subcategories Project status: Cluster:
Period:
Show More
6th EAP Accidents Criminal Enforcement Energy Efficiency Enforcement Enforcement cooperation Frequency of Inspection Guidance book illegal waste shipments Inspection IPPC (IED) Directive IRI National Coordinator National Representative Prioritising RMCEI TFS Conference Waste Shipment Regulation waste shipments Water Framework Directive

PROJECTS

Energy Efficiency in permitting and inspections, phase 3

  • Number: 2012/04
  • Status: Running
  • Period: 2012
  • Lead Country: Germany

  • Project team countries:
    Germany, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Latvia, a representative of the IPPC Bureau in Seville and a consultant from BIPRO GmbH.

  • Participating countries:
    Germany, Austria, Denmark, Finland, Latvia, a representative of the IPPC Bureau in Seville and a consultant from BIPRO GmbH.

Executive Summary

Energy is a priority issue within the European Union. The EU Climate change and Energy Package forsees an increase in energy efficiency of 20 % and a reduction of greenhouse gases by 20 % till 2020. During the discussion on fututre work of IMPEL at the General Assembly 3 – 5 June 2009 in Prague, the representatives of the member states mentioned explicitly energy efficiency as a field that IMEL has to work on. They mentioned the following reasons:

  • increased efficiency in the use of energy is the quickest, most effective way to tackle the issue of climate change,
  • by developing the same standards and requirements throughout Europe and the consequent enforcement it has to be made sure that the individual Member States are not played off one against the other by industry,
  • small and middle sized enterprises have to be included into the efforts of minimising greenhouse gas emissions.

In 2002/2003 IMPEL carried out a project on energy efficiency in Finland. A second project was carried out in 2010 and the evaluation of the current situation showed that during the last few years only minor changes have occurred in the consideration of energy efficiency issues in permitting and supervising procedures. The projects identified 7 main challenges concerning energy efficiency:

  1. In the IPPC directive it is not stipulated how EE should be addressed.
  2. Information on EE in sector BREFs is not concrete and precise enough. The horizontal BREF on EE is complex and has not been utilised much.
  3. Lack of technical expertise in authorities and companies.
  4. Lacking or only occasional cooperation between energy and environmental authorities.
  5. There is no general approach in MS to handle the item of EE in the permit revision.
  6. Problems with definition of system boundaries.
  7. Unclear influence of other instruments like voluntary agreements, Energy Management Systems, tax and ETS-systems on energy efficiency of installations.

For a step-by-step improvement of the situation in permit and inspection authorities participants of the workshop and the project team decided to concentrate on the technical aspects of energy efficiency without taking into account buildings and the influence of tax and ETS systems on it. For the future work of IMPEL in the field of EE they made the following proposals:

  • Development of a template for  documents and data required regarding energy efficiency in the permit application
  • Workshop on assessment of the application documents regarding energy efficiency (for new and existing installations) and development of permit conditions based on BREFs using a sector specific approach (e.g. food sector, metal processing sector, paper sector, chemical sector, waste treatment plants).
  • Training course for dealing with energy efficiency in permitting and inspection.
  • Integrating the discussion on energy efficiency in other sector specific IMPEL-projects, e.g. pig farming.

The proposal for this follow-up IMPEL project to be carried out in 2011 and 2012 aims at the development of a template for documents and data required regarding energy efficiency in the permit application.



Project description

In part 2 of the IMPEL project: “Energy Efficiency in Permitting and Inspection,” the project team consisting of 6 representatives from 5 IMPEL Member States and the consultant made an analysis of major changes from IPPC to Industrial Emissions Directive (IED), discussed the new BAT concept under IED and identified relevant IED provisions related to energy efficiency. They:

-          identified the basic documents to be reviewed during the project,

-          decided for a sector specific approach and to focus initially on the industrial sectors iron and steel (revised BREF document with conclusions expected in due time), glass industry (see iron and steel), cement industry (BREF revised in 2008), milk industry, large combustion plants and possibly municipal waste incineration plants and,

-          developed a draft application form for energy efficiency for the initial discussion with the sector experts.

In two expert group meetings five sector representatives made presentations on the main energy efficiency issues in the sectors and discussed the applicability of the draft form for their sector with the project team. It was found out that the form should consist of a general part and a sector specific check list.

For 2012 the project team intends to develop the check lists further and to test the application form in permit procedures in different EU Member States. Afterwards the final report with a template for documents and data required regarding energy efficiency in the permit application (including a documentation of the requirements identified in IPPC/IED Directive, in existing/revised BREF documents for the relevant sectors and the available conclusions related to energy efficiency) shall be made available for all interested parties. If already possible the practical work with the BAT conclusions will be commented upon.

Terms of Reference - Energy Efficiency in permitting and inspections, phase 3