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Irish Bioenergy Association (IrBEA) chief executive Sean Finan called for the fast delivery of much-awaited support schemes for biomass and biogas at the association's annual conference in Dublin on Wednesday.
“Our immediate priority is the roll out of the full Support Scheme for Renewbale Heat (SSHR)," Finan said. "The industry has had many promised and expected launch dates of SSRH, which have come and gone. The industry eagerly awaits the launch of this scheme. We call on Minister Bruton to clarify today the timelines for the scheme launch. The industry demand certainty on the scheme timelines as they are currently organising staffing and work plans for the remainder of the year.”
Clearance
Finan also said a feed-in tariff for biogas would be largely returned to farmers providing feedstocks such as slurry, crop residues and grass for anaerobic digestion.
Ray Langton of the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland, which administers renewable support schemes, said the SSRH was still awaiting state aid clearance from the European Commission and hoped it could open "soon" but could not give an exact date.
At #IrBEAconf2019 - @IrishBioenergy CEO Seán Finan calls for clarity on SSRH renewable heat scheme. “Be that in one week, one month or one year, we need to know" pic.twitter.com/2t34FpZj4j
— Thomas Hubert ?? (@tom_hubert) 13 février 2019
Hildegarde Naughton TD, who chairs the Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action, opened the conference, saying: “I would like to see our committee recommend that the government develops a national strategy for biogas based on the co-op model."
The committee is due to submit its recommendations to the Government later this month.
Knowledge Transfer
IFA forestry executive Geraldine O'Sullivan was among several speakers who highlighted the forecasted doubling in timber production in the coming decade. She said that many forests were planted by farmers who were reaching the production stage for the first time and needed education on how best to run their forestry businesses.
To do this the Knowledge Transfer Scheme for forestry should continue into the next CAP, O'Sullivan said, pointing that the sector could create 10,000 extra jobs and €2bn in additional revenue for the economy.
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