A longer-term solution for tariffs paid under the non-domestic Renewable Heat Incentive (RHI) is being developed by the Department for Economy (DfE) and will be put out to public consultation in the coming weeks.

In a letter sent to the executive chair of the Renewable Heat Association for NI (RHANI) Andrew Trimble, DfE permanent secretary Andrew McCormick said that consulting with stakeholders was an important part of developing new RHI tariffs.

“It is planned for this process to start as early as next month and we intend to engage directly with RHANI, as one of the key RHI stakeholders,” the letter reads.

Response

McCormick’s letter to Trimble this week was in response to an invitation for him to speak to RHANI members about the future direction of renewable energy in NI at the organisation’s general meeting on Wednesday (yesterday). “The time is not right for the kind of discussion you are suggesting,” McCormick said in the letter.

According to Trimble, Ricardo Energy & Environment, the firm currently conducting audits on RHI boilers in NI, were invited to brief RHANI members on the audit process, but also declined.

Legal challenge

The main item on the agenda at the RHANI general meeting was the formation of a steering committee to decide whether to appeal the ruling from the organisation’s unsuccessful judicial review which challenged the introduction of cost cutting RHI tariffs.

An appeal must be lodged before 1 February.

“Several members have suggested taking the case the European Court of Human Rights. But we cannot do that until we go through the Court of Appeal,” Trimble said.