Statutory guidance

SR2021 No 7: anaerobic digestion facility, including use of the resultant biogas – waste recovery operation

For facilities with a treatment capacity of less than 100 tonnes each day and accepting no more than 35,000 tonnes on site each year.

• From: Environment Agency
• Published: 20 December 2021
• Last updated: 26 February 2026
  Show all updates

  1. 26 February 2026

     Standard rules: 'Activity 4 – treating biogas and biomethane' changed (b) and added (d) and (e). Added technique 21 and 22, 2.5 decarbonisation readiness, 4.2.5 and 'table 4.2' captured, treated and stored carbon dioxide. 'Interpretation' added last sentence to 'accident management plan' and meaning for 'CCR', 'CCR conditions', 'change in type of technical assessment', 'decarbonisation readiness', 'HCR' and 'HCR conditions'. Generic risk assessment: added 3.4 Accidental release of CO2.

  2. 13 March 2023

     In the standard rules permit, added to the introductory note under the minimum distances from sensitive receptors '250 metres of the nearest sensitive receptor where any further treatment takes place by composting digestate fibre in the open'.

  3. 5 July 2022

     Edit to Appendix A - removal of contact details on form as no longer used.

  4. 17 May 2022

     Added 'or habitats' to the conservation screening distance in the Introductory note and under 2.2 section The site.

  5. 1 March 2022

     Under 2.3 Waste quantities in the standard rules permit SR2021 No 7, corrected 'shall not exceed 100,000 tonnes a year' to 'shall not accept 35,000 tonnes a year'. Also removed reference to 'directly associated activities' as this does not apply to waste recovery operations.

  6. 11 February 2022

     Re-inserted '(c) the maximum quantity of hazardous waste received, stored and treated shall not exceed 10 tonnes each day (that is glycerol waste only)' under Activity 1 as it was removed in error.

  7. 10 February 2022

     Corrected an error under Activity 1 from 'Activity 1 is the recovery or a mix of recovery and disposal of non-hazardous waste with a treatment capacity exceeding 100 tonnes a day involving biological treatment' to 'Activity 1 is the recovery or a mix of recovery and disposal of non-hazardous waste with a treatment capacity not exceeding 100 tonnes a day involving biological treatment'. Under Activity 1, removed the text '(c) the maximum quantity of hazardous waste received, stored and treated shall not exceed 10 tonnes each day (that is glycerol waste only)' because glycerol waste cannot be accepted under this permit.

  8. 20 December 2021

     First published.

Applies to England

Documents

SR2021 No 7: Anaerobic digestion facility, including use of the resultant biogas – waste recovery operation

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SR2021 No 7: generic risk assessment anaerobic digestion facility, including use of the resultant biogas – waste recovery operation

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Appendix A: MCP plant list

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Details

You can apply for this standard rules permit if:

• your activity meets the rules set out in the permit
• you can manage the potential risks as set out in the generic risk assessment

You can get advice before you apply for a permit.

How to apply for an environmental permit.