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ADBA PERMITTING WORKSHOP 27 March 2013 Stephen Barnes, Technical Director, Wardell Armstrong. Introduction. Regulatory Background Exemptions Standard Rules Environmental Permits Bespoke Environmental Permits Fees and timescales. Regulatory Background.
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ADBA PERMITTING WORKSHOP 27 March 2013 Stephen Barnes, Technical Director, Wardell Armstrong
Introduction • Regulatory Background • Exemptions • Standard Rules Environmental Permits • Bespoke Environmental Permits • Fees and timescales.
Regulatory Background • Environmental Permit required to deposit, treat, keep and dispose of waste (unless lawfully exempt) • Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010 • Schedule 1 includes AD plants that treat >10 tonnes per day of animal carcasses or animal waste (up to 6 April 2012 gas engines with a net rated thermal input ≥3MW also fell under Schedule1) • Schedule 3 lists exempt activities, which includes small scale AD plants • Schedule 9 list waste operations, which includes those AD plants that do not fall under exemption or Schedule 1.
Regulatory Background • Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2013 implement the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) • Sites that fall under the IED also fall under Schedule 1, however there are phase-in dates • Implementation of IED, from: • 7 January 2013 - at new sites that fall under the Directive • 7 January 2014 – at existing Schedule 1 sites that fall under the Directive • 7 July 2015 – at existing sites (not previously Schedule 1) that fall under the Directive
Regulatory Background • The AD of non hazardous waste at a site with a capacity ≥100 tonnes per day falls under the IED and therefore Schedule 1 • Schedule 1 activities subject to additional permitting requirements, Best Available Techniques, Energy Assessment, Raw Materials Assessment • Existing sites that fall under the IED will require a variation of the Environmental Permit (possibly an Environment Agency administrative variation, otherwise an application by the Operator).
Regulatory Background Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) Regulations 2010, as amended Schedule 1 AD≥100 tonnes per day AD > 10 tonnes per day of animal waste ≥ 50MW (Part A) ≥ 20MW - <50MW (Part B) Schedule 9 Other AD Waste Activities not falling under Schedules 1 and 3 Schedule 3 T24 T25 U10 U11 Environmental Permit Exemption
Exemptions • Register exemption, renewal required every 3 years • Exemptions for on farm AD (T24), off farm AD (T25) and spreading digestateon land (U10 & U11) • Comparatively small schemes only (gas engines with a net rated thermal input less than 0.4MW) • Maximum waste storage and treatment at any one time: on farm AD - 1,250m³; off farm AD 50m³ • Spread digestate on land to confer benefit - up to 50 tonnes per hectare in any 12 months period • Exempt activity must not cause pollution, harm or nuisance.
Exemptions Cockle Park Farm, photo courtesy of Newcastle University
Exemptions • Small scale activities, e.g. Cockle Park Farm • University of Newcastle upon Tyne • 350kWe • Gas to a boiler for heat production • Heat supplied to farm buildings • Plant installed by Marches Biogas
Environmental Permits Environmental Permits Standard Rules Bespoke Schedule 1 Schedule 9 Schedule 1 (Subject to BAT etc) Schedule 9 On-farm Installation Off-farm Installation On-farm waste Operation Off-farm waste operation
Standard Rules Environmental Permit • New Standard Rules permits published in January 2013 (SR2012 No 09, SR2012 No 10, SR2012 No 11 and SR2012 No 12) • Replace previous Standard Rules permits SR2010 No 15 (off-farm AD) and SR2010 No 16 (on-farm AD) • SR2010 No 15 (off-farm AD) and SR2010 No 16 (on-farm AD) are no longer available for new sites • Existing sites under Standard Rules permits for AD will be phased-in to the new Standard Rules • Phase-in details to be finalised by the Environment Agency.
Standard Rules Environmental Permit • Generic criteria for Standard Rules permits (SR2012 No 09, SR2012 No 10, SR2012 No 11 and SR2012 No 12) • Not within 10m of any watercourse • Not within 50m of any well, spring or borehole used to supply water for human consumption • Not within a Groundwater Protection Zone 1 • Not within a specified Air Quality Management Area • Gas engine emission limits (NOx = 500mg/m3, CO = 1,400mg/m3, • SO2 = 500mg/m3, total volatile organic compounds = 1,000mg/m3. • No emission limits for boilers, back up flares, pressure relief valves.
Standard Rules Environmental Permit • Specific criteria for Standard Rules permit SR2012 No 09, on-farm installation • Not within 500m of a European Site or SSSI (excluding geological SSSI) • Minimum stack height of 3m • Not within 200m of a sensitive receptor unless the stack height is at least 7m or the effective stack height is at least 3m • AD capacity over 100 tonnes per day • Up to 100,000 tonnes per annum of farm waste only (or a combination of farm waste & non waste) • Net rated thermal input of gas engines <5MW • Permit includes physical pre-treatment of wastes, gas drying cleaning & storage & upgrade to biomethane).
Standard Rules Environmental Permit • Specific criteria for Standard Rules permit SR2012 No 10, on-farm waste operation • Not within 200m of a European Site or SSSI (excluding geological SSSI) • Minimum stack height of 3m • Not within 200m of a sensitive receptor unless the stack height is at least 7m or the effective stack height is at least 3m • Farm waste (or a combination of farm waste & non waste) only • AD capacity less than 100 tonnes per day (therefore < 36,500 tpa) • Permit includes physical pre-treatment of wastes, gas drying cleaning & storage & upgrade to biomethane).
Standard Rules Environmental Permit • Specific criteria for Standard Rules permit SR2012 No 11, off-farm installation • Not within 500m of a European Site or SSSI (excluding geological SSSI) • Not within 200m of a sensitive receptor • Minimum stack height of 3m • AD capacity over 100 tonnes per day • Up to 100,000 tonnes per annum (includes a much wider range of wastes than on-farm Standard Rules permits) • Net rated thermal input of gas engines <5MW • Permit includes physical pre-treatment of wastes, gas drying cleaning & storage & upgrade to biomethane).
Standard Rules Environmental Permit • Specific criteria for Standard Rules permit SR2012 No 12, off-farm waste operation • Not within 200m of a European Site or SSSI (excluding geological SSSI) • Not within 200m of a sensitive receptor • Minimum stack height of 3m • AD capacity less than 100 tonnes per day (therefore < 36,500 tpa) • No more than 10 tonnes per day of animal waste • Permit includes physical pre-treatment of wastes, gas drying cleaning & storage & upgrade to biomethane).
Bespoke Environmental Permits Reliance Street, photo courtesy of Viridor Laing
Bespoke Environmental Permits • Sites that do not fall under exemption or Standard Rules • Detailed application, including quantification of all emissions (H1) • Air dispersion modelling may be required in some cases • Use of Best Available Techniques for certain activities (known as Schedule 1) • Risk based assessment to determine application fee (EPR OPRA)
Bespoke Environmental Permits Westry AD Facility, photo courtesy of Local Generation Limited
Timescales and Costs • Exemptions • Complete form and submit to Environment Agency • Environment Agency should register exemption within 5 working days • Registration is free • Standard Rules Environmental Permit • AD waste operations - £1,590 application fee (on-farm & off-farm) and annual subsistence fees of £1,540 (on-farm) or £2,420 (off-farm) • AD installations - £1,900 application fee (on-farm & off-farm) and annual subsistence fees of £1,990 (on-farm) or £3,330 (off-farm) • Environment Agency has 13 weeks to determine application once Duly Made (should take less) • Bespoke Environmental Permit • Application fee based on EPR OPRA (experience of AD indicates at least £7,000) • Annual subsistence fees based on either EPR OPRA or fees and charges scheme • Environment Agency has 13 weeks to determine application once Duly Made