TA Luft 2021: our insights on stricter air emission limits and wider remit in Germany

The revised version of Germany’s Technical Instructions on Air Quality Control, known as TA Luft, came into force on the 1^st of December 2021. TA Luft governs the licensing requirements for industrial plants and aims to reduce emissions of pollutants to improve air quality.

The amendments take into account the latest air pollution treatment technology. As the previous iteration of TA Luft dated back to 2002, it’s not a surprise that this was a major update.

TA Luft 2002 already regulated around 50,000 sites, including many in the waste treatment, chemical, metal production, cement, and food sectors, but the scope has now been widened.

TA Luft 2021 introduces regulations for biogas, wood pellet production, and shredder systems for the first time, as well as new nationwide regulations to protect residents from odour nuisance.

So far, odour nuisance has been assessed according to the Odour Immission Directive (GIRL), whose application varies slightly between federal states.

As Germany is one of the industry leaders in Europe, these changes may also inspire and influence the air emission legislation in other European countries.