Specified generator: apply for an environmental permit

Specified generator permits are standalone permits. They only cover emissions of SO2, NOx and dust to air. There are no permit conditions for water, land, energy efficiency, odour or noise.

There are 3 types of permits for specified generators, a:

• standard rules permit – low risk
• simple bespoke permit – low risk
• complex bespoke permit – high risk

Find information on what to do if your specified generator is already permitted, for example, if you have:

• an IED installations environmental permit
• a local authority Part B section 1.1 or 5.1 activity permit

Before you apply

Check you have all the information you need, including the deadlines you must meet. Read the guidance ‘Specified generator: when you need a permit’ to check:

• if you need to apply for a specified generator permit
• the deadlines for all specified generators and the date you must have a permit in place

You can apply for a site permit if you’re operating:

• an individual specified generator
• 2 or more generators for the same purpose

Read the guidance ‘Aggregating generators and deadlines for a specified generator site’ to find out how to aggregate the generators and the date you must have a permit in place.

For all types of permit you need to apply in time for the regulator to determine your application.

In:

• England, apply to the Environment Agency using these details and application forms
• Wales, apply to Natural Resources Wales – use their details and application forms

Standard rules permits

To apply for a standard rules permit you must be able to meet the rules set out in the permit. If you cannot, you must apply for a bespoke permit.

See the standard rules permits available for low risk Tranche B specified generators. Their suitability ranges from small base load combined heat and power systems to peaking abated diesel engines. You can only use them if your site only has Tranche B specified generators, not a mixture of As and Bs.

First, verify the standard rule permit you’re applying for. You can use the application form to do this. Select a standard rule set from the ‘application’ tab and complete the ‘details’ tab with information about your generators. The form calculates the figures you entered to verify whether you can apply for the standard rules permit you’ve selected.

Apply for a standard rules permit

You must provide the following information when you submit your application.

About you

You must provide:

• information about the applicant
• the address of the registered office

You must declare if you or any member of your organisation has:

• any conviction of a relevant offence
• current or past bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings against you

About your operation

You must select the standard rules permit you’re applying for and provide the site or generator’s:

• location – site name, address and postcode
• the Nomenclature of Economic Activities (NACE) code for the activity

You must also provide:

• generator name
• location – national grid reference or latitude and longitude
• status – Tranche A or Tranche B
• rated thermal input (MWth)
• type of generator – such as diesel engine, gas turbine, dual fuel engine, other engine or MCP (medium combustion plant)
• type and portion of fuels used as set out in the fuel categories in Annex 2 MCPD (Medium Combustion Plant Directive)
• stack height
• expected annual operating hours and average load in use
• whether it’s in an AQMA (Air Quality Management Area) or will be deployed to an AQMA
• the distance from places where people live or work (human receptors)

Management system

You must declare the type of management system you have and that it meets the conditions in the standard rules permit.

Emission limit value (ELV) compliance verification

You must monitor each individual generator as specified in the permit conditions.

As part of your application you must be able to demonstrate that you can meet meet ELVs using  using M5 Monitoring of stack gasemissions: emissionslow fromrisk mediumMCPs combustion plants and specified generators.

Charges for standard rules permits

The charges for specified generator standard rules permits.

Specified generators standard rules permits SR2018 No 1, SR2018 No 2, SR2018 No 3, SR2018 No 4, SR2018 No 5, SR2018 No 6, and SR2018 No 9:

• application charge – £221
• transfer charge – £169
• surrender charge – £125
• annual subsistence charge – £246

SR2018 No 8 mobile plant generator:

• application charge – £221
• transfer charge – £169
• surrender charge – £125
• annual subsistence charge – £273
• deployment – no charge

Get help with your standard rules application

See guidance on how to get help with your application in England.

In Wales, email mcpd.queries@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk for help.

Complete and submit the standard rules permit application form

Complete the application form.

Email it to mcpd-application@environment-agency.gov.uk.

If you cannot use the form or you have any issues with it, please contact mcpdhelp@environment-agency.gov.ukmcpd-application@environment-agency.gov.uk.

Bespoke permits

You must apply for a bespoke permit if you cannot meet the conditions in a standard rules permit.

ToThere findare out2 iftypes:

• simple bespoke (low risk) – does not require detailed air dispersion modelling
• complex bespoke (high risk) – does require detailed air dispersion modelling

Read the following guidance to see:

• which type of bespoke permit you canmust apply for
• what information you must provide in addition to that required for a simplestandard bespokerules permit

Air you’llemissions needrisk to:assessment

You can use the Environment Agency specified generator screening tool if you operate one of the following, a:

• followTranche B specified generator site, or a mix of Tranche A and B specified generator site where all Tranche A generators comply with the airTranche emissionsB riskrequirements
• single assessmentor guidance group of new or existing engines that can achieve the medium combustion plant directive and, or specified generator emission limit values
• specified generator or generators that have vertical stacks that are not obstructed by cowls or caps
• specified generator or generators that are fuelled by natural gas, that is, there are insignificant emissions of sulphur dioxide and particulates or, is fuelled by ultra-low sulphur diesel with secondary abatement, used for balancing (no more than 500 hours), and aggregated to no more than 20MWth

If you cannot use the Environment Agency Tranche B specified generator screening tool you can use a different method. The regulator will need to check that your choice of method is robust.

If when using a screening tool the emissions screen out as ‘low risk’ you can apply for a simple bespoke permit. You’llYou will need to provide a completed copy of the screening tool you used with your applicationapplication. toThis demonstratewill show you’ve applied for the correct permit.permit type. You will also need to pay the habitats assessment charge.

If the emissions do not screen out as ‘low risk’ you’llwhen using the screening tool you will need to apply for a complex bespoke permit. Complex bespoke permits require a sitesite-specific specific air quality modelling assessment.assessment that assesses risks to human health and habitats. See the guidance on how to do detailed air quality modelling for emissions from specified generators. andDetailed themodelling informationrequires youspecialist mustknowledge. includeYou incan yourfind reporta consultant. to do it for you.

This guidance is applicable if the specified generator is also a medium combustion plant.

Secondary abatement to meet the ELV

You may configure several generators to exhaust all of their flue gases through a single combined stack to meet the ELV.

The regulators consider this to be an appropriate technique providing the ELV is met on that stack.

You’llYou will need to apply for a complex bespoke permit if you use this technique.

Apply for a bespoke permit

As well as providing all the information required for a standard rules permit application, you must also provide the following.

ELV compliance verification

Submit monitoring evidence that your specified generator can meet the ELV with your application for a bespoke permit.

You can demonstrate you’re meeting ELVs by using:

• M5monitoring Monitoring of stack gasemissions: emissionslow fromrisk mediumMCPs combustion plants and specified generators for simple bespoke permits
• Environment Agency’s Monitoring Certification Scheme – MCERTS for complex bespoke permits

Energy efficiency report for specified generator 20MWth or more

If the newnew MCPs which MCPare which is also a specified generator hashave a total thermal rated input of 20MWth or more,more and produces waste heat at a useful temperature, you must meet Schedule 24 of the Environmental Permitting Regulations. This implements the requirements of the Energy Efficiency Directive. You must prepare and submit a report with your application on how your generator meets the requirements.

This requirement does not apply to:

• spark ignition engines
• existing Tranche A and Tranche B generators

Generators located in or deploying to a local authority AQMA

You must provide details of the specific AQMA.

The regulator will consult with the local authority which has responsibility for the AQMA to verify the ambient background NO2NO₂ concentration you provided.

Generators within the distance requiring a conservation assessment

For bespoke permit applications you must meet the habitats requirements as set out in the guidance screening for protected conservation areas. You may need to do detailed modelling if you cannot meet the requirements.

Charges for bespoke permits

Find charges for medium combustion plant bespoke permits in table 1.10 of the environmental permits and abstraction licences: tables of charges.

If the Environment Agency needs to assess the impact of emissions to air on a habitats site they will charge you a supplementary charge. Their charge is in table 1.19.2 of the tables of charges.

Complete the bespoke permit application form

In England, apply for a bespoke permit using the application forms part A, part F1 and part B2.5.

Find the details on how to apply in Wales.

Get help with your bespoke application

See guidance on how to get help with your application in England.

In Wales, email mcpd.queries@naturalresourceswales.gov.uk for help.

After you apply

The regulator may reject your application if, for example you have:

• not used the right forms
• forgotten to include the fee or sent the wrong fee
• not provided important information

Examples of insufficient information include:

• an air quality assessment not identifying potential pollutants
• emission parameters not being provided

The information required is explained in the guidance and depends on the type of application you are making.

Once the regulator has the information they need to start assessing your application, they will contact you and tell you that your application is ‘duly made’. You will be notified if your application is duly made within:

• one month in England
• 21 working days in Wales

They may still request more information if they need it to complete their assessment.

After you get your permit

If the regulator issues a specified generator permit to a mobile specified generator they will notify the local authority to which it deploys.

Once the regulators have issued your permit they will add your details to the:

• Environment Agency public register in England
• Natural Resources Wales public register in Wales

See guidance on how to comply with your permit and how you’llyou will be regulated.