The Support Scheme for Renewable Heat (SSRH) in the making for over a decade opened this week. Minister for Climate Action Richard Bruton said farmers and businesses switching to biomass or biogas would give €300m under 15-year contracts.
Irish Bioenergy Association chief executive Sean Finan said this would first benefit forestry, offering an outlet for Irish pulpwood and residues.
“There’s a lot of talk about imports, but because of investment in forestry since the 1990s we have a huge amount coming on stream in the coming years,” he said. Grants for short-rotation crops such as willow are needed for farmers to grow them, he added.
IFA renewables chair Tom Short said the SSRH remained part of a “piecemeal” policy, especially the low support offered for biogas, which “undermines the long-term financial viability of many of these projects to the extent that financial institutions have no interest in funding them”.
Read more
Second phase of renewable heat support scheme opens
Heating three acres of glass houses with wood pellets
Huge differences in NI and ROI heat schemes
Market boost for 200,000ha of energy crops
Are green fuels green enough?
Renewable heat incentive expected to commence from mid-2018
The Support Scheme for Renewable Heat (SSRH) in the making for over a decade opened this week. Minister for Climate Action Richard Bruton said farmers and businesses switching to biomass or biogas would give €300m under 15-year contracts.
Irish Bioenergy Association chief executive Sean Finan said this would first benefit forestry, offering an outlet for Irish pulpwood and residues.
“There’s a lot of talk about imports, but because of investment in forestry since the 1990s we have a huge amount coming on stream in the coming years,” he said. Grants for short-rotation crops such as willow are needed for farmers to grow them, he added.
IFA renewables chair Tom Short said the SSRH remained part of a “piecemeal” policy, especially the low support offered for biogas, which “undermines the long-term financial viability of many of these projects to the extent that financial institutions have no interest in funding them”.
Read more
Second phase of renewable heat support scheme opens
Heating three acres of glass houses with wood pellets
Huge differences in NI and ROI heat schemes
Market boost for 200,000ha of energy crops
Are green fuels green enough?
Renewable heat incentive expected to commence from mid-2018
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