By 1 January 2030, existing medium combustion plants with a rated thermal input above 5 MW may be exempted from compliance with the emission limit values referred to in this Article provided that at least 50 % of the useful heat production of the plant, as a rolling average over a period of 5 years, is delivered in the form of steam or hot water to a public network for district heating, or provided that a solid biomass is the main fuel.

While the reuse of base metals and the development of a circular economy are absolutely vital for Europe’s economies, recycling alone cannot meet the future needs of a continent undergoing energy transition: by way of illustration, for the same installed power, wind turbines and solar technologies consume up to 90 times more aluminium, 50 times more iron, copper and glass, and 15 times more concrete (without even mentioning rare and critical metals) than the conventional thermal (oil, natural gas or nuclear) power stations currently operating.

Immediate/Short-termLonger term | Reduction in demand (e.g. smaller engines)Advanced high-efficiency ICEsImproved hybrid electric designs with petrol, diesel, biodieselBio-diesel; bio-ethanolCo-processing of biomass with fossil fuelsSynthetic fuels from gas/coal-Fischer-TropschBiofuels from ligno-cellulosic feedstocksElectric vehicles (EVs) with advanced battery electricity storageHydrogen with fuel cellsAir transport: hydrogen/gas turbine | Low/medium temperature solar thermal applications for hot water, heating, cooling, industrial processesCombined Cycle Gas Turbine (CCGT)Nuclear fission (Gen III/III+)Wind energy (including offshore/ ...[+++]deep offshore)System integration (grid issues)Solid biomassFuel cells (SOFC, MCFC)Geothermal energy (including deep geothermal – HDR/HFR)Carbon capture and storage (CCS)Cleaner use of coal (steam/gas turbine, combined cycle) with CCSAdvanced fossil fuel plants (super/ultra-supercritical steam; Integrated Gasification CC (IGCC), with CCSSolar photovoltaic (PV)Solar thermal power plantsOcean energy (wave, sea current)Nuclear fission – Generation IVNuclear fusion |

i. Heat exchangers (steam generators) specially designed or prepared for use in the primary coolant circuit of a "nuclear reactor";

- nuclear power stations and other nuclear reactors including the dismantling or decommissioning of such power stations or reactors (*) (except research installations for the production and conversion of fissionable and fertile materials, whose maximum power does not exceed 1 kilowatt continuous thermal load).

2. Thermal power stations and other combustion installations with a heat output of 300 megawatts or more and nuclear power stations and other nuclear reactors (except research installations for the production and conversion of fissionable and fertile materials, whose maximum power does not exceed 1 kilowatt continuous thermal load).