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The Simple Calculation of Atmospheric Impact Limits (SCAIL) Combustion screening tool is held on the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) website. You can use it to model the effects of oxides of nitrogen (NO?) and sulphur dioxide (SO?) emissions from small and medium sized combustion sources on sensitive habitat sites.

The tool:

• uses source and stack parameters to estimate NO?, SO?, nutrient nitrogen deposition and acid deposition on the habitat sites and their features

• provides a database of Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), Special Protection Areas (SPAs) and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) and their sensitive features.

When to use the tool

You need to read the guidance Medium combustion plant (MCP): apply for an environmental permit to check if your MCP:

• requires a bespoke permit
• does not screen out using the stage 1 minimum screening distance
• is not also a specified generator for specified generators follow the guidance Specified generator: apply for an environmental permit

How to use the tool

To use SCAIL Combustion you need knowledge on air quality assessment and dispersion modelling. You may need to use a consultant.

This guidance explains how to use the tool for MCP bespoke permit screening. SCAIL Combustion also provides a general user guide on the CEH website.

Run mode

SCAIL Combustion has 3 run modes:

• Hybrid Mode calculates the highest point on an 80 degree sector centred on the nearest part of each habitat site
• Conservative Mode assumes the nearest part of each habitat site is in the prevailing wind direction
• Realistic Mode uses the actual position of the nearest part of each habitat site to make predictions

You should only use Hybrid Mode or Conservative Mode for MCP bespoke permit screening.

Run mode for very complex terrain

SCAIL Combustion assumes flat terrain and therefore terrain effects are not accounted for in the screening model.

You must use Conservative Mode if your MCP is in an area of very complex terrain, for example in a hilly or mountainous area with slopes exceeding 30 degrees

Hybrid Mode is a reasonable worst-case screen which is suitable for most other situations.

Emission parameters

To run SCAIL Combustion you need the:

• MCP stack location
• stack height
• stack exit diameter
• stack exit temperature
• stack emissions exit velocity
• pollutant emission rates
• operating hours

You also need to select whether your MCP is a new or existing MCP, its:

• new if its put into operation on or after 20 December 2018
• existing if it was put into operation before 20 December 2018

Find more detail in the guidance Medium combustion plant: when you need a permit.

Screening distance and search radius

SCAIL Combustion automatically suggests the Search Radius once you have selected Plant Capacity and Sulphurous or non-Sulphurous fuel. Do not use the suggested values.

Instead manually enter the appropriate minimum screening distance in kilometres. Find these in the guidance Medium combustion plant: apply for an environmental permit.

SCAIL Combustion has 2 location fields Installation Location and Stack Grid Reference.

Installation Location is the location used to search for SACs, SPAs and SSSIs within a specified search radius in the Designated Site details section of the tool. You must make sure the Installation Location you enter does not exclude any SACs, SPAs and SSSIs that you need to assess within the relevant minimum screening distance for your MCPs.

Stack height and how to treat buildings

You should measure stack height from the ground. SCAIL Combustion does not model the effect of buildings on stack emissions. You may need to calculate a lower effective height of release instead of using the actual stack height.

You should use an effective height of release instead of the actual stack height in SCAIL Combustion where both of the following apply:

• there is a SAC, SPA or SSSI within 500 metres
• the actual stack height is less than 2.5 times the height of nearby buildings

Follow these steps to estimate the effective height of release to use in SCAIL Combustion:

1. Take the actual stack height in metres.
2. Take the height of the nearest large building structure to the stack in metres.
3. Subtract the height of the building from the actual stack height to get the clearance.
4. If the clearance from step 3 is less than or equal to 1 metre, the effective height of release is 1.66 metres.
5. If the clearance from step 3 is greater than 1, multiply the clearance by 1.66 to get the effective height of release in metres.

Stack exit diameter and velocity

For vertical and unimpeded stacks you do not need to alter the diameter and velocity from the actual values.

You should avoid non-vertical or impeded stacks. If your MCP stack is horizontal or impeded you need to artificially reduce the exit velocity and estimate an equivalent diameter. Follow these steps:

1. Divide the exit velocity in metres per second by 1,000 to get the reduced velocity.
2. Divide the actual volumetric flow rate in metres cubed per second by the reduced velocity from step 1.
3. Multiply the value from step 2 by 1.273.
4. Calculate the square root of the value calculated in step 3 to get the equivalent diameter.

Emission rates

You should calculate the NO? and SO? emission rates from the emission limit values (ELVs) relevant to your MCP. The ELVs are set at reference conditions. You need to make sure your emission rates are derived from volumetric flow rates normalised to the same reference conditions. To do this you will need the actual:

• temperature
• oxygen content percentage
• moisture content percentage

Once the ELV and normalised volumetric flow rate are at the same reference conditions you can calculate the emission rate in grams per second. You will need to multiply the ELV in milligrams per cubic metre by the normalised volumetric flow rate in cubic metres per second and divide by 1,000.

Operating hours

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