RCER-2025: What Saudi Industrial Facilities Need to Know This Year

The Royal Commission for Jubail and Yanbu has issued **RCER-2025**, the most significant update to its environmental regulations in over a decade. For more than 600 industrial tenants in **Jubail, Yanbu, Ras Al-Khair, and Jazan**, the changes mean tighter ambient air thresholds, lower stack emission limits, stricter effluent rules, and enhanced reporting via the eRCER portal. [image:1] ## Why RCER-2025 Matters RCER-2025 aligns Royal Commission limits with the **NCEC national framework** and the World Bank Group EHS guidelines. It is the regulatory backbone of the **Vision 2030 industrial decarbonization** plan. > Penalties for non-compliance now reach **SAR 5 million per incident** plus license suspension. ## Key Changes at a Glance ### Ambient Air Quality - **PM2.5** annual mean: 35 → **15 µg/m³** - **NO₂** 1-hour limit: 400 → **200 µg/m³** - **SO₂** 24-hour limit: 365 → **150 µg/m³** ### Stack Emissions - **NOx** for combustion turbines: 25 ppm at 15% O₂ - **PM** for cement kilns: 30 mg/Nm³ - Mandatory **CEMS** for combustion sources >20 MWth ### Wastewater - Tightened TDS, COD, oil and grease, heavy-metal limits - **Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD)** required for new petrochemical and dyeing facilities [image:2] ## Sectors Most Affected 1. **Petrochemicals and refining** — VOC, BTEX, flare gas recovery 2. **Cement and clinker** — PM, NOx, mercury 3. **Power and desalination** — NOx, SOx, brine discharge 4. **Steel and aluminum** — fugitive dust, fluoride 5. **Fertilizer and chemicals** — ammonia, urea dust [callout: If your facility was last permitted before 2022, assume **at least one** stack or effluent point will exceed RCER-2025 limits.] ## Compliance Timeline - **January 2025** — new ambient air targets in force - **July 2025** — new stack limits for new facilities - **January 2026** — existing facilities must meet new stack limits - **July 2026** — ZLD enforcement - **January 2027** — full eRCER digital reporting integration ## Practical Steps Toward Compliance [image:3] 1. **Run a gap assessment** against the new RCER-2025 limits. 2. **Upgrade or recalibrate CEMS** to QAL2 standard. 3. **Engineer abatement upgrades** — SCR, low-NOx burners, bag filters, vapour recovery. 4. **Refresh the EMP** with quantitative targets. 5. **Train EHS teams** on eRCER reporting. 6. **Prepare for unannounced inspections**. [video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1SgmFa0r04] ## How OzoneCo Helps Industrial Tenants Meet RCER-2025 OzoneCo supports more than **80 industrial tenants** in Jubail, Yanbu, Ras Al-Khair, and Jazan. We are accredited by the Royal Commission for stack testing, ambient air monitoring, and effluent analysis: - **RCER-2025 gap assessment** with prioritized capex plan - **Stack testing and CEMS QAL2/QAL3** - **Ambient air monitoring stations** with eRCER telemetry - **LDAR programmes** for VOC fugitives - **Wastewater audits and ZLD design** - **eRCER reporting** as outsourced service - **EHS training** in Arabic and English [callout: OzoneCo's RCER readiness programme has helped clients reduce non-compliance events by an average of **72%** within 12 months.] Talk to OzoneCo's licensed consultants for a confidential gap assessment and a clear, costed compliance roadmap.