Air quality
European Directives: Petrol vapour recovery
Petrol Vapour Recovery Stage I controls - European Directive 94/63/EC
Council Directive 94/63/EC is in place to control volatile organic compound (VOCs) emissions resulting from the storage of petrol and its distribution from terminals to service stations.
The Directive is implemented in the UK by the Environmental Protection (Prescribed Processes and Substances etc) (Amendment) (Petrol Vapour Recovery) Regulations 1996 (Statutory Instrument 1996 No. 2678) which apply to England, Wales and Scotland and, the corresponding Regulation in Northern Ireland. See:
- The Environmental Protection (Prescribed Processes and Substances Etc.) (Amendment) (Petrol Vapour Recovery) Regulations 1996 (on OPSI webiste)
The Directive requires that vapour displaced by the delivery of petrol into storage installations at service stations must be returned through a vapour tight connection line to the mobile container delivering the petrol. Unloading operations may not take place until the arrangements are in place and properly functioning.
The Directive permanently excludes all small service stations with a throughput of less than 100m3 (cubic metres) per year from the requirement to install new equipment designed to reduce emissions during the unloading of petrol.
Derogation from the requirements of Directive 94/63/EC – for petrol stations with throughputs less than 500m3 per year
Service stations which sell 100m3, or more, but less than 500m3, per year of petrol are under the Directive, given until 31 December 2004 to install such equipment, and were also eligible in principle to:
‘a derogation… where the service station is located in a geographical area, or on a site where vapour emissions are unlikely to contribute significantly to environmental or health problems.’
In July 2004, the Government in collaboration with the devolved administrations fro Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, consulted on proposals to implement the derogation. The consultation closed on 22 October 2004. There was strong support for the derogation which was implemented in December 2004.
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Page last modified: 30 July 2008