Combustion plants: ICPE 2910 / 3110 classification

I own a combustion plant. How do the regulations governing classified installations apply? Combustion plants are widely used in industry, but they are also installed in other sectors such as the service sector (office buildings, supermarkets, etc.) and logistics. All these establishments may therefore be subject to classification as an installation classified for environmental protection under heading n°2910 or even n°3110. The types of equipment falling within the scope of these headings are numerous, and determining the power to be taken into account can be complex. The aim of this article is to summarize the main factors to be taken into account when determining ICPE 2910 classification.

Determining the ICPE 2910 or 3110 classification of combustion plants

To determine the classification applicable to a site, a three-step process must be followed:

1) Inventory of all combustion appliances, including those with a capacity of less than 1 MW: these may include boilers, radiant heaters, unit heaters, furnaces, engines or turbines, generators, dryers, heat pumps, flares, burners, etc.

2) Sum of the rated thermal output(**) of all devices on site that can operate simultaneously:

• If this power exceeds 50 MW, the site is classified as an authorization site under heading 3110,
• If this capacity is less than 50 MW, then the site is not classified under heading 3110; we need to move on to the next stage to assess classification under heading 2910.

Note: ICPE 2910 /3110 cannot be classified twice.

(**): Rated thermal output of a combustion appliance: this corresponds to its lower calorific output. This is the absorbed power (to be distinguished from useful power or electrical power). It can be obtained in two ways:

Heating capacity (kW) = incoming fuel flow (^m3/h or tonnes/h) × PCI (^kWh/m3 or kWh/tonnes) or,

Heating capacity (kW) = Output (kW) / Efficiency.

3) Sum of the thermal output of equipment that can be operated simultaneously and that can be technically connected (***) including equipment with an output of less than 1 MW, with the exception of flares, radiant panels, thermal oxidizer burners, activities classified under other headings of the nomenclature for which combustion is involved in melting, firing or processing, mixed with the flue gases of incoming materials (glass furnaces, chemical process furnaces, cement kilns, dryers, etc.) and activities covered by headings 2770, 2771, 2971 or 2931:

For each set of equipment (= installation), the ICPE 2910 classification is determined by reference to the section table, depending on the fuel used. If the installation comprises devices consuming fuels falling under different headings, then the most penalizing heading for classification is used,

Note: on the same site, there may be several installations classified under 2910-A and/or 2910-B.

(***): Not considered technically connectable:

• All heat pumps,
• Devices more than 300 m apart or located in buildings with different addresses,
• Appliances authorized, registered or declared before July^1, 1987 and not connected to a common chimney,
• Units of less than 2 MW that were not subject to ICPE regulations before December 20, 2018 and not connected to a common chimney.

The diagram below summarizes this process:

Which general prescriptions decree to apply?

Several prescriptive orders may be applicable to ICPEs for headings 2910 or 3110 :

• "Arrêté Déclaration général" : Arrêté du 03 août 2018 relatif aux prescriptions générales applicables aux installations classées pour la protection de l'environnement soumises à déclaration au titre de la rubrique 2910 (NOR: TREP1726498A) ;
• "Arrêté Déclaration-Biogaz" : Arrêté du 03 août 2018 relatif aux prescriptions générales applicables aux appareils de combustion, consommant du biogaz produit par des installations de méthanisation classées sous la rubrique n° 2781-1, inclus dans une installation de combustion classée pour la protection de l'environnement soumise à déclaration sous la rubrique n° 2910 (NOR: TREP1726505A) ;
• "Arrêté Enregistrement" : Arrêté du 03 août 2018 relatif aux prescriptions générales applicables aux installations relevant du régime de l'enregistrement au titre de rubrique 2910 de la nomenclature des installations classées pour la protection de l'environnement (NOR: TREP1726510A) ;
• « Arrêté Autorisation <50 MW » : Arrêté du 03 août 2018 relatif aux installations de combustion d’une puissance thermique nominale totale inférieure à 50 MW soumises à autorisation au titre des rubriques 2910, 2931 ou 3110 (NOR : TREP1726534A) ;
• "Arrêté Autorisation ≥ 50 MW": Arrêté du 03 août 2018 relatif aux installations de combustion d'une puissance thermique nominale totale supérieure ou égale à 50 MW soumises à autorisation au titre de la rubrique 3110 (NOR: TREP1726535A).

To determine the ministerial order applicable to a combustion plant :

1) For heading 3110 :

• If the sum of the rated thermal outputs of the equipment making up the plant, when subtracting equipment rated at less than 15 MW and those listed in point 3 of article 3 of the "Arrêté Autorisation ≥ 50 MW": application of the "Arrêté Autorisation ≥ 50 MW".
• Si la somme des puissances thermiques nominales des appareils constituant l’installation, lorsque l’on retranche les appareils de moins de 15 MW et ceux listées au point 3 de l’article 3 de l’« Arrêté Autorisation ≥ 50 MW » est inférieure à 50 MW : application de l’« Arrêté Autorisation <50 MW »

2) For heading 2910 :

• Application of the General Prescriptions Order for each individual facility, according to its classification,
• In the case of an installation made up of devices operating on different fuels, resulting in classifications under different paragraphs: Application of the prescriptive order corresponding to the most restrictive regime.

With regard to the applicability of the new ministerial decrees, another diagram from the Ministry's Fiches Techniques Combustion (Combustion Technical Data Sheets) will help you determine which decree to apply to the various installations in question:

Content of applicable requirements

The above-mentioned general regulations define the requirements applicable to combustion plants. They can be categorized as follows:

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In addition to these ICPE regulations, boilers are also subject to other obligations. These include

• Minimum yields, emission controls and energy efficiency controls (Code de l'Environnement Articles R.224-16 to R. 224-41-9) ;
• Declaration of information relating to medium-sized combustion plants (Code de l'environnement Articles R. 515-113 to R. 515-116: Medium-sized combustion plants).

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Photo credit: Ludomił Sawicki