News from the Biofertiliser Certification Scheme

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Updated Anaerobic Digestate Quality Protocol Launched

Posted: 10 February, 2014. Written by Environment Agency

The Environment Agency, with support from WRAP and industry representatives have revised and updated the end of waste Quality Protocol (QP) for Anaerobic Digestate.

The new document updates the original QP (first published in 2010) to provide greater clarity and additional clarification of acceptable input materials and their associated codes.

The revised QP is applicable in England, Wales and Northern Ireland, with a transition period for existing QP producers and users until 10th April 2014.

The Quality protocol will be hosted on the Biofertiliser Certification Scheme website which is operated by REAL, a subsidiary company for the Renewable Energy Association

Important changes in the revised QP 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 digestate.

REAL Certification Manager Ciaran Burns said:
“With the Environment Agency’s ADQP, 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 the 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 ADQP can be accessed on the Biofertiliser Certification Scheme website here.