Emissions Inventory Reporting: Guidance for Intensive Farming
The Emissions Inventory
The Emissions Inventory used to be called the Pollution Inventory. It holds data about the emissions from industrial activities, including intensive farming, that we regulate in Wales. The data we collect is reported to Defra for the National Atmospheric Emissions Inventory and the UK Pollutant Release and Transfer Registers.
Who reports emissions data
Intensive farm operators will receive an EPR Regulation 61 Notice when their permit is issued. The notice requires you, as an operator, to report emissions data to the Emissions Inventory.
When to report emissions data
You must provide emissions data annually.
The online reporting system will be available to you from the second week of February each year. The deadline for submitting data is 31 March.
You must report emissions data for the previous calendar year.
If you do not report by 31 March we may take legal action against you.
How to report emissions data
You must make your annual return online at https://prtr.defra.gov.uk/data-entry-system. It is not possible to submit a paper return.
Even if your operation has closed down during the reporting year, you must submit data for the period that you were operating. If you have not operated, and have no emissions to report, you should check - and update if necessary - your facility details and make a nil return. To make a nil return leave the release and transfer details blank, but submit both the empty release and the empty transfer. It is helpful if you include a comment in one of the remarks field to say that it is a nil return.
You will receive a reminder to complete the inventory by email each year, so we recommend that you keep your details up to date with us.
Instructions for completing the return are available on the online reporting system login page.
If you have problems using or gaining access to the system, contact us at PRTR.national.manager@cyfoethnaturiolcymru.gov.uk
Emissions data you must report
You should report releases to air, releases to controlled waters, waste water transfers and off-site transfers of waste. The online system contains a list of all the substances in the inventory, but you only need to report those relevant to your activities.
Report the amount of each substance released in the previous calendar year. The online reporting system asks for the amount in kilograms for releases to air and water, and in tonnes for waste transfers.
Calculate your releases to air using emission factors
You need to report releases to air of ammonia, and where applicable, particulate matter (PM10), methane, and nitrogen oxides. Report the amount, in kilograms, of each pollutant released in the previous calendar year.
Know your emission factors
The release is calculated using emission factors. There are emission factors for poultry and emission factors for pig rearing. These are figures that have been determined from monitoring actual emissions from different types of housing and working out an average emission per animal place per year. We do not require you to monitor the emissions from your farm unless we have put specific conditions in your permit.
If you have an emissions abatement plant (eg a scrubber) treating the emissions from your livestock housing, you should calculate the amount of emissions using the emission factor given in your permit.
Be sure of your animal places
To calculate emissions, you will need to know the number of animal places used. This is the number of animals housed at any time, not the total annual throughput. It may be less than your permit allows.
For broilers, assume that each growing cycle has the same number of birds. You do not have to adjust your calculation for the time that the sheds are empty for cleaning and disinfection as this is accounted for in the emission factor.
For other poultry or pigs, assume that the housing is occupied all year. If there are extended periods when the housing is empty, then adjust the calculation to account for this.
Livestock numbers may change during the year. This may be because your permit was varied to increase the numbers. You should calculate what the emissions were per month based on the number of livestock reared and the relevant emission factor.
Ammonia releases
Multiply the number of animal places used by the appropriate emission factor. For poultry housing with enriched cages you should use the emission factor that best matches the manure handling system.
If manure is stored within the boundary of the installation after removal from the housing, ammonia releases from this must be added to the reported amount.
Methane releases
You need only report methane releases for poultry if you store manure outside the housing and within the installation boundary.
For pigs, you will need to report methane from the pigs themselves (enteric fermentation) and from manure storage.
Nitrogen oxides releases
This is only likely to be relevant to certain types of pig rearing installations.
Particulate matter (dust) releases
This only applies to poultry.
To calculate the PM10 release, multiply the number of bird places used by the relevant emissions factor, then divide by 3.
You can read more about methods of calculating pig emissions and poultry emissions, and see worked examples of emissions calculations.
Intensive farming releases to controlled waters
If you have conditions in your permit allowing the discharge of specified substances to groundwater, a river or the sea, complete the relevant part of the on-line return. The amount is calculated from actual concentration and measured flow data.
See the general Emissions Inventory Reporting Guidance for more information on how to calculate these releases.
Off-site transfers into waste water
If you have trade effluent consent from a water company to discharge from the installation to a sewer, you need to report the amount of each specified substance.
Off-site waste transfers
You need to report the total amount of hazardous and non-hazardous waste that you sent off site during the year for disposal or recovery. This includes any manure or slurry sent for disposal or recovery (such as to a power station). It excludes manure or slurry sent off site for land-spreading.
Other waste that should be reported includes plastic wrapping, cardboard, light bulbs, wooden pallets and protective clothing.
You do not need to report whole animal carcasses but should include other animal tissue waste.
You must make separate entries into the reporting system for non-hazardous waste sent for disposal and for recovery. If the total tonnage of non-hazardous waste is less than 2000 tonnes you do not need to report the non-hazardous waste transfer.
If the total amount of hazardous waste sent off site in the year is more than 2 tonnes you will need to report the amount sent for disposal and for recovery.
Keep the waste transfer notes you receive from the waste carrier who removes your waste. This will allow you to keep a running total of the hazardous and non-hazardous waste removed during the year.
Reporting emissions from other activities
If you have other activities listed on your permit, you will need to follow the general guidance on Emissions Inventory Reporting: guidance.