Medium Combustion Plant Directive (MCPD).

Medium Combustion Plants vary in purpose, from heating and cooling systems to small-scale power generation. For users across East Anglia and the Home Counties of Eastern England which we cover, there are many oil and gas boilers that will fall into the criteria of the MCPD.

A medium combustion plant (MCP) includes a combustion unit (engine, boiler or turbine), any abatement and the attached stack or flue, along with any air cooling where it forms part of the combustion unit. MCP does not include fuel handling/storage, waste handling, external water or air cooling.

In principle, any boiler of over 5MW input (input, not output), will need to comply with Medium Combustion Plant Directive by 1st January 2025. Following this, any boiler of over 1MW, will need to comply with MCPD by 1st January 2030.

What is the difference between a New MCP and an Existing Plant?

A new MCP is a combustion unit that was first fired on or after 20 Dec 2018. Anything used before that is called existing plant.

The advice from the Combustion Engineering Association is: "Change the fuel and you are 'new'; change anything else and you are 'existing'. Buy a new boiler and it is 'new'."

Compliance with the MCPD regulations is all about emissions and the extent of the work required is largely going to be dependant on the age, condition, capacity and running hours of the plant. Again, industry advice is generally being led by the boiler manufacturers, and whilst the advice is being pushed towards replacement of your boiler equipment, compliance may be possible through burner replacements and or capacity de-rating.