Medium combustion plant: apply for an environmental permit
The types of permit available, how much they cost and how to apply for your environmental permit.
Applies to England and Wales
Medium Combustion Plant Directive (MCPD) 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 permit for a stationary or mobile medium combustion plant (MCP):
- standard rules permit – low risk
- simple bespoke – low risk
- complex bespoke permit – high risk
Find information on what to do if your MCP 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 on:
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
You need to apply in time for the regulator to determine your application – check the ‘After you apply’ section of this page for more information.
Standard rules permits
To apply for a standard rules permit in England, you must be able to meet the rules set out in the permit. If you cannot, you must apply for a bespoke permit.
Natural Resources Wales do not issue standard rules permits anymore – only bespoke permits. If your specified generator is in Wales, use the Natural Resources Wales guidance.
See the standard rules permits available for low risk stationary MCPs. The standard rules permits are not suitable if your existing MCP is also classed as a specified generator.
Apply for a standard rules permit
When you submit your application, you must provide the:
- operator’s name and the address of the registered office – for mobile MCP the owner is the operator
- MCP’s location, if stationary – address, postcode and the national grid reference or latitude and longitude (not required for mobile MCP)
- net rated thermal input (MWth)
- type of combustion plant – such as diesel engine, gas turbine, dual fuel engine, other engine or boiler
- type and portion of fuels used, as set out in the fuel categories in Annex 2 of the MCPD
- operation start date
- Nomenclature of Economic Activities (NACE) code for the activity
- expected annual operating hours and the approximate average load in use (see the ‘ELV exemption declaration’ section of this page)
Operator competence
In your application you must be able to demonstrate your ability as an operator. Provide information on:
- any conviction of a relevant offence by you or a relevant person
- current or past bankruptcy or insolvency proceedings against you or a relevant person
You must also confirm you have a written management system.
ELV exemption declaration
If the 500 operating hours per year exemption applies to your MCP, you must provide a signed declaration that the MCP will not operate more than the allowed hours.
Charges for standard rules permits
SR2018 No 7: new and existing, low risk, stationary medium combustion plant and SR2022 No 9: new and existing, low risk, stationary medium combustion plant which is a natural gas boiler
| Number of MCPs | Application charge | Subsistence charge | Transfer charge | Surrender charge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | £446 | £194 | £169 | £125 |
| up to 3 | £520 | £256 | £169 | £125 |
| up to 5 | £620 | £342 | £169 | £125 |
| up to 8 | £720 | £394 | £169 | £125 |
| up to 10 | £779 | £520 | £169 | £125 |
| up to 15 | £813 | £620 | £169 | £125 |
Help and advice
See guidance on how to get help with your application in England.
In Wales, contact Natural Resources Wales for help.
Complete and submit the standard rules permit application form
Complete the application form. The form verifies the standard rules permit you have selected based on the information you put in.
Email it to mcpd-application@environment-agency.gov.uk.
If you cannot use the form or you have any issues with it, please contact mcpd-application@environment-agency.gov.uk.
Bespoke permits
If you cannot meet the conditions in a standard rules permit you must apply for a bespoke permit. There are 2 types:
- 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 must apply for
- what information you must provide in addition to that required for a standard rules permit
Air emissions risk assessment
Stage 1
If each individual MCP is operating outside the minimum screening distances to the habitat sites given in the table then you can apply for a lower risk simple bespoke permit. If any of the MCP(s) are operating inside the minimum screening distances to habitats given in the table then you should move to a stage 2 assessment.
Minimum screening distances to the habitat sites
| Fuel type used | Rated thermal input (MWth) of any MCP | Minimum distance from MCP to a site of special scientific interest or marine conservation zone in metres | Minimum distance from MCP to a special area of conservation, special protection area or Ramsar wetland in metres |
|---|---|---|---|
| Natural gas, gas oil or woody solid biomass | 1 to less than 2 | 750 | 750 |
| Natural gas, gas oil or woody solid biomass | 2 to less than 5 | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| Natural gas, gas oil or woody solid biomass | 5 to less than 10 | 1,500 | 1,500 |
| Natural gas, gas oil or woody solid biomass | 10 to less than 20 | 2,000 | 2,500 |
| Natural gas, gas oil or woody solid biomass | 20 to less than 50 | 2,000 | 5,000 |
| Gas other than natural gas | 1 to less than 2 | 1,000 | 1,000 |
| Gas other than natural gas | 2 to less than 5 | 1,500 | 1,500 |
| Gas other than natural gas | 5 to less than 10 | 2,000 | 4,000 |
| Gas other than natural gas | 10 to less than 20 | 2,000 | 5,000 |
| Gas other than natural gas | 20 to less than 50 | 2,000 | 10,000 |
| Solid and liquid heavy fuel oil | 1 to less than 2 | 2,000 | 2,000 |
| Solid and liquid heavy fuel oil | 2 to less than 5 | 2,000 | 4,000 |
| Solid and liquid heavy fuel oil | 5 to less than 10 | 2,000 | 8,000 |
| Solid and liquid heavy fuel oil | 10 to less than 50 | 2,000 | 10,000 |
You can ask for a free habitats (nature and conservation) screening assessment to check if you meet the criteria. Use our pre-application advice service and select the installations form.
Stage 2
If any of your individual MCP are within the minimum screening distances given in the stage 1 assessment, you can use the Simple Calculation of Atmospheric Impact Limits (SCAIL) combustion tool to do an air emission risk assessment.
Follow the guidance on how to use the SCAIL combustion tool and assess the outputs. You will need specialist knowledge to use it. You should find an air quality consultant to do it for you.
The output of the screening and subsequent assessment will determine if you:
- ‘screen out’ and need to apply for a low risk simple bespoke permit
- ‘screen in’ and need to apply for a high risk complex bespoke permit
If you do not use the SCAIL combustion tool and guidance to do a stage 2 assessment, you will need to apply for a complex bespoke permit. You will need to send us a detailed air dispersion modelling report. You must include information about any actions you are taking to reduce air impacts to prevent harm to a habitat. Detailed modelling requires specialist knowledge. You should find an air quality consultant to do it for you.
If the MCP is also a specified generator, then you should also follow the guidance relating to the air emissions risk assessment for specified generators.
Energy efficiency report for MCP 20MWth or more
If the MCP’s total thermal rated input is 20MWth or more and produces waste heat at a useful temperature you must also meet Schedule 24 of the environmental permitting regulations. This implements the requirements of the Energy Efficiency Directive. You must prepare and submit a report if your plant is:
- new or substantially refurbished
- operates more than 1,500 hours per year
- is over 20MWth (total aggregated net thermal input)
- a boiler, furnace, gas turbine or compression ignition engine
See guidance on how to meet the energy efficiency standards.
Mobile MCP deploying to a local authority air quality management area (AQMA)
You must provide:
- details of the specific AQMA
- generic examples against high background concentration
- evidence of no harm to local air quality
The regulator will restrict deployment as appropriate.
Stationary MCP located in a local authority AQMA (mostly boilers)
If your MCP is not a generator, for example it’s a boiler, you must find out if your MCP is located within a local authority AQMA.
In your application you must provide:
- details of the AQMA
- actual emissions from the MCP
The regulator will consult the local authority to check if your MCP is identified in the associated air quality management plan.
If it is, your MCP emissions may be identified as adversely affecting air quality in the area. The local authority, in their plan, will identify how much stricter the ELV needs to be to make a noticeable improvement to air quality. The regulator will include the agreed stricter ELV in your permit conditions.
Setting monitoring requirements
You must provide detailed information on:
- secondary abatement – the pollutant, abatement technology and how it’s maintained and monitored to provide continuous and effective abatement
- continuous emissions monitors (CEMs) where proposed – the pollutant and the monitoring standards the CEMs meet
- the stack and flue configuration and sample points of aggregated stacks for new or existing MCP
The regulator will set the monitoring requirements based on:
- Annex 3 of the MCPD
- the information you submit with your application
Charges for bespoke permits
Find the charges for simple and complex bespoke MCP permits in table 1.10 of the environmental permits and abstraction licences: tables of charges.
If the Environment Agency needs to do extra or unusual regulatory work they will charge you a supplementary charge. For example, if they need to assess the effect of emissions to air on a protected habitats site. Their charge is in table 1.19.2 of the tables of charges.
Apply for a bespoke permit
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, contact Natural Resources Wales 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 application form 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’. This means they are starting the assessment process.
The regulators may request more information if they need it to complete their assessment.
If the Environment Agency needs any more information from you before your application can be duly made, they will either:
- contact you to request it if it seems you could provide the information within 10 working days
- return your application with a list of missing information to help you reapply
If the Environment Agency cannot progress your application past the duly made stage, they will return it to you. They may keep part of your application charge if they have spent time reviewing your application. This is explained in the environmental permitting charges guidance.
After an application is duly made, if the Environment Agency needs any more information from you, they will contact you to tell you what information you need to send.
After you get your permit
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 will be regulated.
Updates to this page
Last updated 22 July 2024 + show all updates
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Added that Natural Resources Wales do not issue standard rules permits anymore – only bespoke permits. In the minimum screening distances to the habitat sites table, added ‘less than’ to clarify the rated thermal input numbers.
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Updated the 'After you apply' section to clarify what happens if the regulators need more information before an application can be 'duly made'.
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Updated section 'Stage 2': If any of your individual MCP are within the minimum screening distances given in the stage 1 assessment, you can use the Simple Calculation of Atmospheric Impact Limits (SCAIL) combustion tool to do an air emission risk assessment.
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The stage 2 screening tool (Simple Calculation of Atmospheric Impact Limits (SCAIL)) for combustion will not be available before 30 June 2023.
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'Charges for standard rules permits' table reflects amended and new standard rules sets relating to MCPs. 'Stage 1': clarified if any of the MCP on site operating outside the minimum screening distances to the habitat sites given in the table then you can apply for a lower risk simple bespoke permit. 'Stage 2': clarified use SCAIL combustion tool for existing MCP applications.
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Clarified types of bespoke permit available and the air emissions risk assessment requirements. Added ‘woody type biomass’ to fuel type used. Added text to the section ‘energy efficiency report of SG 20MWth or more’ – ‘and produces waste heat at a useful temperature’.
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Removed the link to the online application service as people must use the application forms to apply for a bespoke medium combustion plant permit.
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Updated the 'After you apply' section to give examples of insufficient information being provided. Updated how to get advice before applying for a standard rules permit in England.
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Under Bespoke permit, Air emissions risk assessment we have clarified when an assessment is needed by adding the designated site type. We have also removed the link to the specified generator tranche B screening tool, as this guide refers to MCPs not specified generators.
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The Environment Agency's Regulatory Position Statement: Permits for schedule 25B, Tranche B specified generators: RPS 219 for sites in England expired on 31 August 2019.
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The Natural Resource Wales Regulatory Decision has been extended to 31 October 2019.
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Added: In England you can now apply for a bespoke permit online. Also details of when air emission risk assessment and energy efficiency reports are required.
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First published.