The Environment Agency had published its response to consultation on changes to Standard Rules for Environmental Permits for medium combustion plant and specified generators
On 14 August 2019, the Environment Agency (EA) confirmed in a consultation response, concerned with the revision of the standard rules for an environmental permit (EP) for a medium combustion plant (MCP) and specified generators, that it will proceed with its main consultation proposal of amending existing standard rules for a specified generator, so that they also apply to new MCPs. The consultation noted that some of the emission limit values that would apply to a specified generator that includes new MCP are tighter than those specified in the Medium Combustion Plant Directive 2015 (Directive (EU) 2015/2193). This is as a result of the EA’s risk assessment conclusions. The EA will publish the revised permits as soon as practicable.
The Environmental Permitting (England and Wales) (Amendment) Regulations 2018had introduced controls on emissions of nitrogen oxides from MCPs (with a rated thermal input between one and 50 megawatts (MW), such as energy plants for large buildings, or those providing heat or steam for small industrial installations) and small-scale generators (mostly intended to regulate diesel generators). Under the EP regime, standard permits, which require compliance with a set of standard rules, enable light touch regulation of facilities that present a low risk to the environment. The EA introduced the main new standard rules for specified small-scale generators in September 2018.