The Irish Bioenergy Association (IrBEA) has said that fundamental issues in the flagship Renewable Heat Obligation (RHO)bill need urgent clarification.

While members welcomed the publication of the bill last week, which paves the way for the mandatory inclusion of biomethane and other renewable fuels in the heat sector, they warned that key elements of the scheme’s design remain unclear.

In a statement, the group said these issues must be addressed to encourage investment in indigenous fuel production and to ensure the scheme achieves its intended objectives.

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Ireland remains the worst-performing EU member state for renewable heat deployment.

According to IrBEA, the RHO presents a vital opportunity to support the development of the solid biomass, bio-liquid and biogas/biomethane sectors.

First step

IrBEA CEO Seán Finan has welcomed the publication of the RHO bill as a “first step”, but warned of serious concerns among members over its design.

Key among these is the short-term scope of the proposed obligation rate, which is only set for the first two years.

“This gives no investment certainty for renewable fuel producers, particularly in the biomethane sector,” said Finan.

“The Government must immediately publish the 2030 obligation rate and longer-term ambition. Without this clarity, there’s no incentive for suppliers to enter into contracts with producers.”

IrBEA also criticised the lack of measures to tackle fraud-prone biofuel imports from non-EU, unsupervised supply chains, which are already undermining domestic production under the current Renewable Transport Obligation (RTFO).

“This must be addressed in the RHO’s primary legislation,” Finan stressed.

The proposed 0.5 RHO certificate bonus for Irish-produced biomethane was also deemed insufficient to level the playing field against imported renewable gas.