Definition: Co-incineration plant

Category: Environment - EU legislation

"Co-incineration plant" means any stationary or mobile plant whose main purpose is the generation of energy or production of material products and:

 - which uses wastes as a regular or additional fuel; or
 - in which waste is thermally treated for the purpose of disposal.

If co-incineration takes place in such a way that the main purpose of the plant is not the generation of energy or production of material products but rather the thermal treatment of waste, the plant shall be regarded as an incineration plant.

This definition covers the site and the entire plant including all co-incineration lines, waste reception, storage, on site pretreatment facilities, waste-, fuel- and air-supply systems, boiler, facilities for the treatment of exhaust gases, on-site facilities for treatment or storage of residues and waste water, stack devices and systems for controlling incineration operations, recording and monitoring incineration conditions.

The following plants shall however be excluded from the scope of this Directive:

(a) Plants treating only the following wastes:
 - (i) vegetable waste from agriculture and forestry,
 - (ii) vegetable waste from the food processing industry, if the heat generated is recovered,
 - (iii) fibrous vegetable waste from virgin pulp production and from production of paper from pulp, if it is co-incinerated at the place of production and the heat generated is recovered,
 - (iv) wood waste with the exception of wood waste which may contain halogenated organic compounds or heavy metals as a result of treatment with woodpreservatives or coating, and which includes in particular such wood waste originating from construction and demolition waste,
 - (v) cork waste,
 - (vi) radioactive waste,
 - (vii) animal carcasses as regulated by Directive 90/667/EEC without prejudice to its future amendements,
 - (viii) waste resulting from the exploration for, and the exploitation of, oil and gas resources from off-shore installations and incinerated on board the installation;

(b) Experimental plants used for research, development and testing in order to improve the incineration process and which treat less than 50 tonnes of waste per year. http://ec.europa.eu/eur-lex/pri/en/oj/dat/2000/l_332/l_33220001228en00910111.pdf