Modernizing Poland's power plants could cost as much as €20.2 billion Shutterstock

A new EU industrial emissions directive may cost Polish power plants some €20.2 billion to implement.

The European Parliament has approved a directive which will order countries to cut industrial emissions of sulfur dioxide and nitrous oxide in half by 2016. However, Poland’s plants have an additional four-year transition period to get their emission levels on par with those set out in the directive.

“After more than two years of difficult negotiations we have a compromise that will help to improve the implementation of the directive,” said German MEP Holger Krahmer.

“Compared to the current situation, this offers more clarity and a better chance of a level playing field across Europe on environmental requirements for industrial installations,” he added.

The directive will affect 2,000 industrial and agricultural installations in Poland. In order to meet the new standards, investments in the modernization of Poland’s power plants will cost €20.2 billion, according to daily Rzeczpospolita.

Additionally, the directive makes allowances for Poland’s obsolete coal power plants, giving them until 2023 or 17,500 operational hours from 2016, whichever comes first, to permanently shut down.

The European Parliament has formally approved the directive, after agreeing to it with the European Council. The latter must officially accept the document, at which time it will be enforced in member states.