Legislation
Legislation and regulations are subject to frequent change. The contents of this section are not, therefore, definitive and are intended for guidance purposes only. Readers must make their own judgements and take responsibility for how they use the information.
Environmental regulation in the UK is based on a number of Acts of Parliament that were enacted for the benefit of the UK, together with other legislation that has arisen to meet EU environmental legislation.
The main legislative requirements are contained within the Environmental Protection Act 1990 and the Pollution Prevention and Control Act 1999. These Acts form the basis of the Pollution Prevention and Control Regulations, which apply wide-ranging pollution control measures to much of UK industry. These regulations apply to fuel-burning installations that have a fuel input rating of more than 20 MW. The Environmental Permitting (EP) Regulations came into force on 6 April 2008. These new regulations will make existing legislation more efficient by combining Pollution Prevention and Control (PPC) and Waste Management Licensing (WML) regulations.
Individual packaged CHP installations fall well below the 20 MW threshold, and are not, therefore, subject to the regulations unless they are integrated within an industrial process that is itself subject to regulation. They are, however, subject to the more general legislation on pollution control, such as the Clean Air Acts and those sections of the Environmental Protection Act that cover nuisances to neighbours and the public.
If a packaged CHP plant is connected to an industrial installation that is regulated under the new IPPC procedures, then the CHP plant will probably need to be included in the scope of the IPPC authorisation from the regulator. Advice on the required information and procedure should be obtained from the appropriate regulator, usually the Environment Agency or SEPA.
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