Defra Publishes New RDF Definition

As of the 20th November, an official definition has been published by Defra to clarify what is expected of waste described as Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF).  Defra has worked closely with a range of operators with an interest in the RDF sector to develop the definition with the aim of helping the Environment Agency better regulate the RDF sector.

The definition is stated as: “Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) consists of residual waste that is subject to a contract with an end-user for use as a fuel in an energy from waste facility. The contract must include the end-user’s technical specifications relating as a minimum to the calorific value, the moisture content, the form and quantity of the RDF.”

It is thought the new definition will help address the problem of waste described as RDF being abandoned or causing environmental problems in the form of leaching after being stockpiled for long periods of time.

The definition will be trialled within the industry over a 6 month period with regulators and operators involved in the RDF sector being asked to help evaluate the success of the trial including how effective the definition has been at meetings its objectives, how easy the definition has been to work with and whether the definition has resulted in any additional costs and burdens to legitimate operators and regulators.

In recent years TEPL have worked closely with a number of key RDF producers, assisting with a range of operational management issues, including the preparation of environmental permits for production and storage, the development of management plans for fire prevention and mitigation, storage and surface water management, and the development and implementation of environmental management systems to ensure the compliance of business operations with environmental permits.

If you need any assistance in regards to this or any other issues relating to RDF/SRF, please contact us to see how we can help.