IFA renewables chair Tom Short has welcomed this week's EU's green light for the Support Scheme for Renewable Heat (SSRH) and urged the Government to publish details of eligible boilers and ADs, warning that delays and insufficient funding to date had "completely undermined confidence for investing in the sector".

He described the €300m pledged for SSRH over the next eight years as a "token amount" against the €450m collected every year through the carbon tax on fossil fuels and public service obligation levy on electricity.

This will not deliver on Ireland’s EU renewable energy targets

“This will not deliver on Ireland’s EU renewable energy targets, which will effectively double between now and 2030.

"The range of renewable technologies proposed to date is too narrow," Short said, calling for a clear and coherent policy to develop renewable energy and the wider circular bio-economy.

"Any support scheme that is put in place must support community microgeneration, along with the deployment of the full range of renewable technologies, including wind turbines, micr-hydro, solar PV systems, anaerobic digestion, ground source heat pumps and combined heat and power to meet EU climate change and renewable energy targets,” Short added.

Scheme to open 'shortly'

A spokesperson for the Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment told the Irish Farmers Journal: "Further details on the scheme, including opening date for applications, will be announced by the minister shortly."

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