A long-awaited regulatory tool that has been pitched by the Government as a key demand driver for renewable heat energy is on track for publication before the year ends.

The renewable heat obligation (RHO) is an “important policy tool” for scaling up the biomethane and anaerobic digestion sector in Ireland, according to the National Biomethane Strategy.

Speaking at the Irish Bioenergy Association conference, Minister of State Ossian Smyth gave away few details on the mechanism, which will require the suppliers of fossil fuels for heating to acquire a proportion of their supplies from renewable sources.

Phased

“That is going to have a phased introduction over three years and it will have an annual rate increase, which will lead to 10% of heat supplied by renewable energy and the strategy for that is going to be published by the end of this year,” Minister Smyth said.

The Department of Environment had planned to unveil the RHO before the end of September, but this deadline has passed as its legal framework is still being drafted in parallel with the high-level finalisation of the tool.