This document was developed for the Proposed Mandatory GHG Reporting Rule. For
the final document, please visit the final Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse
Gases Rule.
Stationary Fuel Combustion Sources
United Slates
Proposed Rule: Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases Environmental Protection
Under the proposed Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse Gases (GHGs) rule, owners or operators
of facilities that emit 25,000 metric tons of GHGs per year or more (expressed as carbon dioxide
equivalents) from stationary fuel combustion or that meet any other applicability requirements of the
rule (see information sheet on General Provisions) would report emissions from stationary fuel
combustion. Owners or operators would collect emission data; calculate GHG emissions; and
follow the specified procedures for quality assurance, missing data, recordkeeping, and reporting.
How Is This Source Category Defined?
Under the proposal, stationary fuel combustion sources are devices that combust any solid, liquid, or gaseous
fuel to:
Produce electricity, steam, useful heat, or energy for industrial, commercial, or institutional use; or
Reduce the volume of waste by removing combustible matter.
These devices include, but are not limited to, boilers, combustion turbines, engines, incinerators, and process
heaters. Portable equipment or generating units designated as emergency generators in a permit issued by a
state or local air pollution control agency would be excluded.
Facilities that contain stationary fuel combustion units, but do not contain a source in any other source
category covered by the proposed rule, would not be required to submit a report if their aggregate maximum
rated heat input capacity from all stationary fuel combustion units is less than 30 million British thermal units
per hour (mmBtu/hr).
Electricity generating units that are subject to the acid rain program are covered under 40 CFR part 98,
subpart D (Electricity Generation).
What GHGs Would Be Reported?
The proposal calls for facilities to report total carbon dioxide (CO2), methane (CFL^, and nitrous oxide (N2O)
emissions from each fuel combustion unit. For each unit, CO2 CFI4 and N2O emissions would be reported
separately for each type of fuel combusted. In addition, facilities would report any CO2 emissions from
sorbent use in air pollution control equipment.
How Would GHG Emissions Be Calculated?
Under the proposal, the following methodologies would be used to calculate CO2, CFI4, and N2O emissions:
Calculating CO? Emissions from Combustion
Facilities would calculate CO2 emissions using four methodological tiers, subject to certain
restrictions based on unit size and fuel burned (see flow chart on page 3):
o Tier 1 uses an emission factor that is multiplied by annual fuel use and a default heating value
for that fuel.
o Tier 2 uses an emission factor that is multiplied by annual fuel use and a measured heating
value of that fuel.
April 2009 1 EPA-430-F-09-005
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This document was developed for the Proposed Mandatory GHG Reporting Rule. For
the final document, please visit the final Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse
Gases Rule.
o Tier 3 uses a calculation based on annual fuel use and measured carbon content of that fuel.
o Tier 4 requires a continuous emissions monitoring system (CEMS).
Combustion units that have certain types of existing CEMS in place and meet specific criteria
would be required to use the Tier 4 methodology. This might require certain upgrades to the
existing CEMS in order to comply with the Tier 4 methodology. Those upgrades will depend on
the fuel burned and the CEMS currently installed on a unit.
Combustion units that are subject to the reporting requirements under EPA's Acid Rain Program
would continue to measure CO2 mass emissions using the 40 CFR part 75 methods and would
report CO2 emissions by converting the cumulative fourth quarter CO2 emissions from short tons
to metric tons.
Calculating N7O and CFU Emissions From Combustion
Most units would use an emission factor that is based on annual fuel use and heat value of fuel (using
a default value prescribed in the rule if a measured heat value is not available). Units covered under
EPA's Acid Rain Program and other units that monitor and report annual heat input under 40 CFR
part 75 requirements would use an emission factor and the measured annual heat input.
Calculating CO? Emissions From Sorbent Use
Fluidized bed boilers and units equipped with a wet flue gas desulfurization system or sorbent
injection would use the calculation procedure provided in the rule to estimate CO2 emissions from
sorbent use.
Calculating Biogenic CO? Emissions From Biomass Fuel Combustion
Facilities would estimate biogenic CO2 emissions from the combustion of biomass fuels by choosing
from among the same methodologies used for calculating CO2 emissions from fossil fuel combustion,
subject to certain restrictions based on the type of biomass fuel burned.
Sampling and analysis of heating value and carbon content would be conducted monthly, weekly, or
daily depending on the fuel and the size of the combustion unit.
What Information Would Be Reported?
In addition to the information required by the General Provisions at 40 CFR 98.3(c), the proposal calls for
facilities to report the following information:
Facilities would report annual mass emissions for each GHG for each combustion unit. Emissions can
be aggregated among multiple units under the following conditions:
o Small units that have a combined maximum rated heat input capacity of 250 mmBtu/hr or
less.
o Units that share a common stack and use CEMS.
o Oil-fired or gas-fired units that combust the same fuel, and the fuel is fed through a metered
common pipe.
Besides the GHG emissions estimates, facilities would report the measured inputs used in the
emissions calculations (e.g., fuel use, carbon content, heating value), and all certification tests and
major quality assurance tests for units using CEMS.
Existing facilities that are required to report emissions from stationary combustion sources only (and
no other source categories) would be able to submit an abbreviated emissions report for the first
reporting year using simplified calculation methods.
For More Information
April 2009 2 EPA-430-F-09-005
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This document was developed for the Proposed Mandatory GHG Reporting Rule. For
the final document, please visit the final Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse
Gases Rule.
This series of information sheets is intended to assist reporting facilities/owners in understanding key
provisions of the proposed rule. However, these information sheets are not intended to be a substitution for
the rule. Visit EPA's Web site (www.epa.gov/climatechange/emissions/ghgrulemaking.html) for more
information, including the proposed preamble and rule and additional information sheets on specific
industries, or go to to access the rulemaking docket (EPA-HQ OAR-2008-0508). For
questions that cannot be answered through the Web site or docket, call 1-877-GHG-l 188.
April 2009 3 EPA-430-F-09-005
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This document was developed for the Proposed Mandatory GHG Reporting Rule. For
the final document, please visit the final Mandatory Reporting of Greenhouse
Gases Rule.
General Stationary Fuel Combustion Requirements for CO2
Proposed 40 CFR 98 Subpart C
Is the Unit
Subject to
Acid Rain
Program?
Do CEMS
and Unit Meet
Certain
Conditions?'
Continue to Monitor CO
According to Part 75,
Report Annual CO2
Under Part 98.
Does Unit
Burn any
Solid Biomass
Fuel (eg.,
Wood)?
For any
Cofired
Fuels
Is Unit s Rated
Heat Input
Capacity
>250 mmBtuVrir?
For
Biogerric
CO,
Emissions
Is a CO^
Emission Factoi
for the Fuel
Provided in
Rule?
Is Measured i iigti
Heating Value
(HHVP
Available?
Are Default
Emission Factors
and HHV for Fuel
Provided in
the Rule?
April 1.2009
- Unit capacity: >250 mmBtu/hr a >250 torn/day MSW.
- Drift ha« operated >1,000 hours/year In wry yew ihca 2009.
UnK haB Bittiar a Part 60, Part 75, or Btat^Ganniad gas monitor of any
kind of a flow rate monitor (or both),
- Tto arisUng CEMS are requkvd by regulation or permit, and are atoo
required to undergo pailodc QAfQC LabUty.
QB
- Unftcapadty:<260mmBoVhror<260ton«Atoy.
- UnthMOfwratad>1,OOOhourkVMrlnaryyaarahca200&
- UHt haa both a CO, monitor and a flow rata monter.
- The axlttlng CEMS are raqukvd by regulation or pwmit, and are atoo
required to undergo peijodc QA/QC tcsdrtQ,
1 MSWuilts that do not have CEMS msy use Tier 2, using measured annual
steam generator! In lieu of campling the fual HHV.
1 Reporters have the option of iwng any higher Tier methodology.
April 2009
EPA-430-F-09-005
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