A revised and updated end-of-waste Quality Protocol for anaerobic digestion has been released.
Produced by the Environment Agency, with the support of WRAP and industry representatives, the new document updates the original Quality Protocol published in 2010 and provides greater clarity of acceptable input materials and their associated codes.
Changes in the revised quality protocol include:
- The requirement for land managers using digestate to maintain records for the specific purposes of the Quality Protocol has been removed
- Appendix B (acceptable inputs) has been updated to provide clarification of acceptable inputs and associated codes, including additional codes to describe waste that is subject to certain forms of pre-treatment at facilities between the site of waste production and the AD facility.
- Tanning liquor and sludges from leather production have been removed from Appendix B.
- A good practice section has been included covering storage, handling and use of anaerobic digestion.
The Quality Protocol is hosted on the Biofertiliser Certification Scheme website which is operated by REAL – a subsidiary of the Renewable Energy Association (REA).
REAL certification manager Ciaran Burns said: “With the Environment Agency’s anaerobic digestion Quality Protocol, which the REA lobbied for in 2009, and REAL’s non-profit Biofertiliser Certification Scheme, the UK has the only national end-of-waste regulatory framework in Europe.
“Along with the forthcoming update to PAS110, these updates will provide clarity on the regulations for digestate producers and further build confidence in the market for biofertiliser.
“This update to the ADQP makes several improvements, reducing the administration burden for producers and rationalising the list of appropriate feedstocks.
“This will increase the value of digestate products and boost the overall economics of anaerobic digestion as a source of renewable biogas.”
The Quality Protocol can be viewed at http://www.biofertiliser.org.uk/adqp
