Guidance

MCERTS for stack emissions monitoring equipment at industrial installations

Updated 28 August 2024

Applies to England

This guidance is for:

• manufacturers of monitoring equipment who need to know what standards to meet to be able to sell their equipment in the UK
• test laboratories who carry out testing of equipment on behalf of manufacturers to see if it meets the required standard

The Environment Agency set up our monitoring certification scheme (MCERTS) to provide guidelines on the standards you need to meet to monitor emissions that affect the environment.

Monitoring equipment at industrial installations measure the gases and particles in chimney stacks, flues and ducts.

To get MCERTS certification for monitoring equipment at industrial installations you must comply with the certification requirements. You must also comply with the manufacturer’s quality management system for manufacturing and design control of monitoring systems. These requirements are set out in:

• EN 15267-1 Air quality – Certification of automated measuring systems – Part 1: General aspects
• EN 15267-2 Air quality – Certification of automated measuring systems – Part 2: Minimum requirements for product quality assurance, initial assessment and on-going surveillance

CSA Group Testing UK Ltd are a certification body appointed to run this scheme on behalf of the Environment Agency.

CSA Group Testing UK Ltd complies with EN ISO/IEC 17065 Conformity assessment – Requirements for bodies certifying products, processes, and services.

1. Continuous emissions monitoring systems

Here we outline the certification process for continuous emissions monitoring systems (CEMS).

CEMS are designed for fixed and permanent use at a stack.

The following standard is required for the testing of CEMS under MCERTS:

• EN 15267-3 Air quality – Certification of automated measuring systems – Part 3: Performance criteria and test procedures for automated measuring systems for monitoring emissions from stationary sources

MCERTS for CEMS applies to waste incineration and large combustion plants, as well as other types of installations that are required to meet the quality assurance requirements of EN 14181 Stationary source emissions - Quality assurance of automated measuring systems.

2. Transportable emissions monitoring systems

Here we outline the certification process for transportable emissions monitoring systems (T-CEMS).

T-CEMS are a transportable variant of CEMS. They are designed for periodic short-term use at more than one stack.

T-CEMS are used for:

• regulatory compliance monitoring
• verifying and calibrating installed CEMS, according to the requirements of EN 14181
• providing temporary back-up systems when permanent CEMS are not operating

For the use of highly portable handheld emissions monitoring systems (HEMS) see section 5.

The following standard is required for the testing of T-CEMS under MCERTS:

• EN 15267-4 Air quality – Certification of automated measuring systems – Part 4: Performance criteria and test procedures for portable automated measuring systems for monitoring emissions from stationary sources

EN 15267-4 provides performance criteria and tests for T-CEMS.

3. Dust arrestment plant monitors

Here we outline the certification process for automated dust arrestment plant monitors installed in industrial chimney stacks, flues and ducts.

There are 2 types of dust arrestment plant monitors:

• filter dust monitors – these calibrated in mass concentration units (for example mg/m3) and used for dust arrestment control purposes
• filter leakage monitors – these indicate a change in the emissions level or a change in the magnitude of dust pulses created by the cleaning process of dust arrestment plants

The following standard is required for the testing of dust arrestment plant monitors under MCERTS:

• EN 15859 Air quality – Certification of automated dust arrestment plant monitors for use on stationary sources – Performance criteria and test procedures

Measurements made by dust arrestment plant monitors are not suitable for compliance monitoring at large combustion plants, waste incineration plants and any other type of plant that is required to comply with EN 14181.

4. Automatic isokinetic samplers

Automatic isokinetic samplers are control units used to extract gas isokinetically from stacks. They are used in conjunction with particulate and wet chemical sampling systems. They can be set up for periodic and continuous automated batch sampling.

There is a separate MCERTS performance standard for automatic isokinetic samplers.

5. Handheld emissions monitoring systems

HEMS are compact emissions monitoring systems that can be used for stack emission monitoring for indicative purposes, monitoring some medium sized combustion plants, fugitive emissions and gaseous releases from landfill bore-holes.

There is a separate MCERTS performance standard for handheld emissions monitoring systems.

6. Low risk plant monitors

Low risk plant monitors are used to make continuous measurements at medium sized combustion plants.

There is a separate MCERTS performance standard for low risk plant monitors.

7. Long-term samplers of carbon dioxide

Long-term samplers of carbon dioxide are used to sample carbon dioxide for the determination of biogenic carbon dioxide.

There is a separate MCERTS performance standard for long-term samplers of carbon dioxide.

8. What to do next

Find out more about MCERTS product certification on the:

• CSA Group Testing UK Ltd website
• MCERTS collection on GOV.UK

You can contact the Environment Agency if you need any help.

General enquiries

National Customer Contact Centre
PO Box 544
Rotherham
S60 1BY

Email enquiries@environment-agency.gov.uk

Telephone 03708 506 506

Telephone from outside the UK (Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm GMT) +44 (0) 114 282 5312

Monday to Friday, 8am to 6pm.