Statutory guidance

SR2021 No 8: on-farm anaerobic digestion facility using farm wastes only, including use of the resultant biogas – installations

For a Part A installation with an anaerobic digestion capacity of over 100 tonnes of waste, or a combination of waste and non-waste each day and accepting no more than 100,000 tonnes per 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, changed the text in the introductory note under the minimum distances from sensitive receptors and in condition 2.2 from '250 metres of the nearest sensitive receptor where any processing or storage of digestate fibre is in the open' to '250 metres of the nearest sensitive receptor where any further treatment takes place by composting digestate fibre in the open'.

  3. 1 March 2023

     Corrected an error in the generic risk assessment. Changed Parameter 3 from ‘The maximum quantity of waste received on site each day, including solids and liquids, is 200 tonnes per day.’ to ‘The maximum quantity of waste received each day shall not exceed the designed storage capacity of the site.’

  4. 5 July 2022

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

  5. 17 May 2022

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

  6. 4 March 2022

     Corrected an error under Technique 11 - removed '(a) all waste reception, transfer and pre-treatment shall be carried out in an enclosed building with air extraction and an abatement system' as we should not have included that requirement.

  7. 20 December 2021

     First published.

Applies to England

Documents

SR2021 No 8: On-farm anaerobic digestion facility using farm wastes only, including use of the resultant biogas – installations

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SR2021 No 8: generic risk assessment for on-farm AD facility using farm wastes only, including use of the resultant biogas – installations

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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.