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Air Quality and Transboundary Emissions
37
Sulphur Dioxide (SO
2
)
SO
2
is the major precursor to acid
deposition, which is associated
with the acidification of soils and
surface waters. Ireland achieved the
emission ceiling of 42 kilotonnes (kt)
in 2009 due to the large decrease in
SO
2
emissions in recent years. This
is due to fuel switching, from solid
and liquid fuels to natural gas, in
the power generation and industry
sectors; reductions in the sulphur
content of fuel oil, gasoil, diesel
and gasoline; and the decrease in
coal and peat use for heating in
Irish homes. The recent application
of flue gas desulphurisation at the
Moneypoint coal-fired power station
led to a substantial reduction in SO
2
from this key point source.
Oxides of Nitrogen (NO
X
)
Emissions of NO
X
also contribute
to acidification of soils and surface
waters as well as ground-level ozone
formation and nitrogen loading in
terrestrial ecosystems. The main
sources of NO
X
emissions in Ireland
are the transport, power generation
and cement sectors. NO
X
emissions
from the electricity sector decreased
substantially due to the implementation
of the Large Combustion Plant (EP
and CEU, 2001b) and Integrated
Pollution Prevention and Control (IPPC)
(CEU, 1996) Directives, but sustained
NO
X
emissions from road transport
mean that Ireland failed to achieve
the emissions ceiling of 65 kt by 2010.
Figure 3.4 compares the emission
trends for NO
X
to the NEC target.
Ireland is one of the 11 EU Member
States that did not meet their 2010
emission ceiling for NO
X
. Figure
3.5 shows the total NO
X
emissions
for 2009 from all Member States
compared with their NO
X
national
emission ceiling.
Figure 3.4
NO
X
Emission Sources and Trends 1990–2010 (Source: EPA)
0
20
40
60
80
100
120
140
160
kilotonnes NO
X
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
2010
2008 2009
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
2001
2000
Power Stations
NEC Target
Residential & Commercial
Industrial
Agriculture & Forestry
Transport
Other
Figure 3.5
Total 2009 NO
X
Emissions and 2010 NO
X
National Emissions Ceiling for EU Member States (Source: EEA)
0
200
400
600
800
1,000
1,200
1,400
1,600
Emissions – 2009 – Gg (1000 tonnes)
Gg (1000 tonnes)
Austria
Belgium
Bulgaria
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Greece
Hungary
Ireland
Italy
Latvia
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Malta
Netherlands
Poland
Portugal
Romania
Slovakia
Slovenia
Spain
Sweden
United Kingdom
Emissions – Ceiling 2010 – Gg (1000 tonnes)