Best Available Techniques (BAT)
Best Available Techniques (BAT) are the economically and technically viable techniques which are the best for preventing or minimising emissions and impacts on the environment. Industrial installations undertaking specific types of activity are required to use BAT.
BAT Conclusions
A BAT Conclusion will identify the technique to be applied some Industrial Activity permits and will either be narrative or prescriptive. Prescriptive BAT will have an associated emission limit range; they provide the reference for setting emission limit values and issuing operating permits for industrial installations in the UK.
BAT Conclusions include:
- A description of each conclusion.
- An assessment of its appropriate application.
- Emission levels associated with the best available techniques.
- Associated monitoring.
- Associated consumption levels.
- Relevant site remediation measures, where appropriate.
EU published BAT Conclusions are derived from BREF, these apply until they are replaced by UK BAT Conclusions.
EU BREF
The documents describe applied techniques, present emissions and consumption levels, techniques considered for the determination of best available techniques as well as BAT Conclusions and any emerging techniques. To access the most up-to-date version available, please visit the European Integrated Pollution Prevention and Control Bureau, where you can download the latest documents.
UK BAT
The UK Best Available Techniques Team was set up in 2022 following UK exit from the EU to organise an information exchange between UK Government, Devolved Administrations, Regulators, industry and environmental non-governmental organisations on BAT used to control industrial pollution.
The UK BAT Team activities were mandated by the Environment and Wildlife (Legislative Functions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, specifically Part 3, with the power to make decisions on BAT Conclusions for the purposes of Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) 2010/75/EU. This means coordinating the exchange of information that underpins the drawing up, review, and creation of BAT Conclusions.
As with the EU BREF process the BAT Conclusions produced by the UK BAT Team cover large-scale agro-industrial activities included in Annex I to the IED. The BAT Conclusions are short descriptions of the best available techniques their applicability and associated emission or consumption levels. BAT Conclusions are subsequently adopted by a committee procedure and published as UK Statutory Instruments.
The development of UK BAT Conclusions will be undertaken initially in three tranches;
- Tranche 1 covers those sectors which the UK engaged in the development of the related EU BREF. Textiles (TXT), Common Waste Gas Management and Treatment Systems in the Chemical Sector (WGC), Ferrous Metals Processing Galvanizing (FMPG), Ferrous Metals Processing Forming (FMPF). Tranche 1 Documents have completed technical review and are expected to be published in 2026.
- Tranche 2 covers the final sectors required to conclude the IED revision of the EU BREF Foundries (F), Slaughterhouses and Animal By-Products (SA), Surface Treatment of Metals and Plastics (STM), Ceramics (CER), Large Volume Inorganic Chemicals (LVIC). Tranche 2 Documents are currently undergoing review, the reviews are expected to be completed by 2027 with publication in 2028.
- Tranche 3 Proposed to cover the ongoing review of all activities included in Annex I to the Industrial Emissions Directive (2010/75/EU). Tranche 3 has still to be agreed. For the latest position of the UK BAT determination please visit UK BAT Conclusions.
When do I need to comply with the BAT Conclusions?
Where BAT Conclusions are available for any new installations, those installations must achieve the required standard before the start of operations.
For existing installations, it is our responsibility to ensure that all permit conditions for the installation are reconsidered (and, where necessary, updated) in line with the relevant BAT Conclusion within four years of its publication. Permits falling within the scope of the Food, Drink and Milk Industries (FDM) and Surface Treatment Using Organic Solvents including Wood and Wood Products Preservation with Chemicals (STS) sectors are currently being reviewed.
In the absence of BAT Conclusions, installations should continue ensure that they meet the highest standards of environmental control, based on BAT.
Link to guidance IND-G-015 (when available).
Contact us
For more information on any aspect of BREFs or BAT Conclusions, please contact us.