Consultation on modernising environmental permitting for industry

In the IED 2.0 the EU have raised the threshold for permitting of hydrogen production via the electrolysis of water to 50 tonnes per day. The EA is already using mechanisms including GET and standard rules to expedite and streamline permitting but given the importance of this technology and the relatively low environmental risks associated with the sector, we would like to explore the case for going further in streamlining regulation. 

This could be achieved by setting a new threshold for permitting of hydrogen in Schedule 1 of the EPRs (for example at 50 tonnes per day as in the EU) which would remove the need for sites below the thresholds to obtain an installation permit. Alternatively, we could consider a registration approach (as outlined in the previous section) for smaller-scale electrolysis to reduce cost and approval timelines, while maintaining some degree of regulatory oversight.