Statutory guidance

SR2021 No 9: on-farm anaerobic digestion facility, including use of the resultant biogas – waste recovery operation

For a facility with a treatment capacity of less than 100 tonnes of waste, or a combination of waste and non-waste each day accepting no more than 35,000 tonnes 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, changed the text in the introductory note under the minimum distances from sensitive receptors 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. 17 May 2022

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

  4. 1 March 2022

     In the permit, under 2.1.1 changed 'The activities shall be undertaken in accordance with best available techniques' to 'The activities shall be undertaken in accordance with appropriate measures'. Under 2.3 Waste quantities, 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.

  5. 21 January 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.

  6. 20 December 2021

     First published.

Applies to England

Documents

SR2021 No 9: on-farm AD facility, including use of the resultant biogas - waste recovery operation

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SR2021 No 9: generic risk assessment for an on-farm AD 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

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