Does your metal production or processing business require a PPC permit?

Your business may require a pollution prevention and control (PPC) permit from your environmental regulator or local council. For example, you will need a permit if your business has a production capacity above a certain level or if you use certain hazardous substances.

If your business is an installation or mobile plant you will need a pollution prevention and control (PPC) permit from your environmental regulator.

An installation is a stationary technical unit, such as a self-contained building, permanent structure or fixed plant, used for listed activities.

A mobile plant is plant that can be moved and is used for listed activities.

Listed activities

These are industrial, waste or intensive farming activities that have an impact on the environment and are listed in the PPC regulations. They are split into categories:

  • Part A, B and C in Northern Ireland
  • Part A and B in Scotland

Listed activities that might be carried out by metal production or processing businesses include:

Permit Categories

Listed activity

Northern Ireland

Scotland

producing iron and steel

Part A

Part A

producing non-ferrous metals from ore, concentrates or secondary raw materials by metallurgical, chemical or electrolytic activities

Part A

Part A

producing coke

Part A

Part A

using hot rolling mills with a production capacity of more than 20 tonnes of crude steel per hour

Part A

Part A

using a furnace with a melting capacity of more than four tonnes per day for lead or cadmium, or more than 20 tonnes for all other non-ferrous metals

Part A

Part A

casting ferrous metals at a foundry with a production capacity of more than 20 tonnes per day.

Part A

Part A

using a furnace with a net rated thermal input of 20–50 megawatts or a combination of appliances which when added together, have a net rated thermal input exceeding 20 megawatts but less than a rated thermal input of 50 megawatts.

Part C

Part B

using a furnace with a melting capacity of four tonnes or less per day for lead or cadmium or 20 tonnes or less for all other non-ferrous metals

N/A

Part B

heating metal to remove any non-metallic contaminant, unless the process is carried out in furnaces or appliances which together have a rated thermal input of less than 0.2 megawatts

Part C

Part B

using five tonnes or more of organic solvent

Part C

  

using a furnace with a production capacity of 20 tonnes or less per day for ferrous metal

  

Part B

desulphurising iron, steel or any ferrous alloy

  

Part B

What you must do

If your installation or mobile plant carries out listed activities you will need a permit from your environmental regulator.

Permits and regulators for listed activities

Activity category

Northern Ireland

Scotland

Part A

PPC permit regulated by the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA)

PPC permit regulated by SEPA

Part B

PPC permit regulated the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA)

PPC permit regulated by SEPA

Part C

PPC permit regulated by local council

N/A

Contact your environmental regulator

You should contact your environmental regulator or local council for further information about listed activities. NetRegs does not provide detailed guidance on Part A activities.

If you are unsure whether you are affected by PPC, contact your environmental regulator or local council.

How to apply for a permit

Return to the menu of the PPC Permits by sector environmental topic