As we progress further in our journey to net-zero, the challenges that lie ahead become ever more immense and every sector will have to play its part.
Accounting for the largest portion of Ireland’s energy-related greenhouse gases, the transport sector is still seeing an upward trend in fossil fuel consumption, conventional vehicle numbers and carbon emissions.
The challenge of reaching an emissions reduction of between 45% and 50% by 2030 in the sector, as outlined in the Climate Action Plan, will be significant.
Let’s keep in mind that Ireland managed to reach just half (3.1%) of its previous EU emissions reduction target of 6% by 2020 in this sector.
A new report published by the Irish Bioenergy Association (IrBEA) highlights the pathway towards decarbonising road transport (passenger and commercial travel). It is clear that there isn’t a single silver bullet to achieve this.
Over the past decade, the conversation has been narrowly focused on the electrification of transport as the only decarbonisation solution.
During that period however, our conventional vehicle fleet continued to grow at a considerably higher pace than the electric fleet. The report states that it is now beyond doubt that a wider range of policy measures and interventions is required.
This article will summarise the report’s key findings and outline the opportunities presented to farmers in this green transition.
Measures
The report highlights that in order to meet the emissions reduction target in the transport sector, a diverse portfolio of decarbonisation options is needed, including:
Delivering on the Government’s ambition of over 940,000 electric vehicles by 2030. This would avoid approximately 2mt (million tonnes) of CO2.Increasing the blend rate of sustainable biofuels in petrol and diesel (minimum of 10% ethanol and 12% biodiesel) as per the Climate Action Plan. This would avoid an additional 0.4mt of CO2. Efficiency and behavioural measures that reduce surface transport fuel consumption by 17% by 2030 as per the Climate Action Plan. This would avoid 4.7mt of CO2. Targeting 5TWh (terawatt hours) of indigenous biomethane production for use in heavy transport. This would avoid approximately 1mt of CO2. Targeting 2TWh of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oils (HVO). This would avoid approximately 0.4mt of CO2. Biofuels
Biofuels are the only measure that has had a meaningful impact at slowing the increasing emissions trend in the sector to-date. This is because biofuels represent the lowest cost decarbonisation option for transport and can be deployed quickly and sustainably using existing infrastructure.
The Biofuels Obligation Scheme was introduced in 2010 and requires suppliers of road transport fuels to include a certain percentage of environmentally sustainable biofuels across their general fuel mix.
Biofuels now account for over 5% of Ireland’s transport energy, bringing the same climate benefit as nearly half a million electric cars, avoiding 520,000t of CO2 emissions.
The most important bioliquids are bioethanol (made from sugar and cereal crops) used to replace petrol, and biodiesel (made mainly from vegetable oils and fats), used to replace diesel. To be compliant with European renewable and sustainability regulations, the use of biofuels must produce significant emissions savings.
Around 68% of all biofuels placed on the market in Ireland were produced from used cooking oil, while 15% were from animal fats (tallow). However, just 14% of raw materials used to make biofuels were sourced from Ireland, as 33% of raw materials are imported from China.
The report highlights that increasing the blend rate of sustainable biofuels to a minimum of 10% ethanol in petrol and 12% biodiesel in diesel would avoid an additional 0.4mt of CO2.
However, specifically increasing the biodiesel blend rate from 12% to 20% by 2025 could deliver 0.5Mt of CO2.
A substantial share of HGVs use central fuel storage, meaning they mostly or exclusively refuel from their own bulk supplies. With 20% biodiesel blends marketed as B20 already available on the market today, many HGV operators are well placed to switch from fossil diesel to this product.
If tax policy were to be amended such that B20 offered a cost advantage, this would be a low resistance way of increasing the utilisation of biofuels in the existing fleet.
However, with little will at Government level to incentivise farmers to produce the raw materials needed for biofuel production, the majority of the materials for biofuel production will continue to be imported.
Biomethane
Biomethane still remains an untapped renewable resource in Ireland. While many reports have indicated its strategic importance in decarbonising the heat sector, renewable biomethane gas can play as big a role in decarbonising the transport sector.
The report outlines a target of 5TWh of indigenous biomethane production for use in the heavy transport sector. This would require around 250 farm-scale anaerobic digestion plants supplied with sustainably-sourced feedstocks such as grass, energy crops and slurry.
The freight sector is key to the Irish economy and faces different challenges in decarbonisation than the passenger car sector. It is a sector that is hard to electrify and in the near-term, other measures are required.
There were approximately 136,000 HGVs in Ireland in 2020, accounting for 15% of transport energy. The fleet relies solely on diesel – just 57 trucks are powered by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
Biomethane is seen as a vital tool to decarbonise HGVs, as the technology is tried, tested and viable. By developing 5TWh of indigenous biomethane production for use in the freight industry, this would avoid approximately 1mt of CO2.
Furthermore, the development of a biomethane industry would contribute to rural employment and allow farming families to diversify incomes.
However, the penetration of biomethane as a HGV transport fuel is limited by the share of new CNG-HGV sales in the market, a lack of industry support and a lack of nationwide refuelling infrastructure.
Transport emissions profile
In 2018, the transport sector emitted 12mt CO2eq and must reduce to between 6-7mt CO2eq by 2030.Ireland’s transport emissions per capita are the fourth highest in the EU-27.Today there are over 1.2m diesel cars in Ireland and just under one million petrol cars.The amount of petrol consumed in Ireland reduced by more than half between 2007 and 2018 due to the shift to diesel cars.In Ireland, over 35bn kilometres were driven by private cars in 2018.There were approximately 136,000 HGVs in Ireland in 2020, accounting for 15% of transport energy, most of which use diesel.Biofuels delivered 520,000t of CO2 savings in 2020. This is the emissions equivalent of taking 230,000 petrol cars off the road.
As we progress further in our journey to net-zero, the challenges that lie ahead become ever more immense and every sector will have to play its part.
Accounting for the largest portion of Ireland’s energy-related greenhouse gases, the transport sector is still seeing an upward trend in fossil fuel consumption, conventional vehicle numbers and carbon emissions.
The challenge of reaching an emissions reduction of between 45% and 50% by 2030 in the sector, as outlined in the Climate Action Plan, will be significant.
Let’s keep in mind that Ireland managed to reach just half (3.1%) of its previous EU emissions reduction target of 6% by 2020 in this sector.
A new report published by the Irish Bioenergy Association (IrBEA) highlights the pathway towards decarbonising road transport (passenger and commercial travel). It is clear that there isn’t a single silver bullet to achieve this.
Over the past decade, the conversation has been narrowly focused on the electrification of transport as the only decarbonisation solution.
During that period however, our conventional vehicle fleet continued to grow at a considerably higher pace than the electric fleet. The report states that it is now beyond doubt that a wider range of policy measures and interventions is required.
This article will summarise the report’s key findings and outline the opportunities presented to farmers in this green transition.
Measures
The report highlights that in order to meet the emissions reduction target in the transport sector, a diverse portfolio of decarbonisation options is needed, including:
Delivering on the Government’s ambition of over 940,000 electric vehicles by 2030. This would avoid approximately 2mt (million tonnes) of CO2.Increasing the blend rate of sustainable biofuels in petrol and diesel (minimum of 10% ethanol and 12% biodiesel) as per the Climate Action Plan. This would avoid an additional 0.4mt of CO2. Efficiency and behavioural measures that reduce surface transport fuel consumption by 17% by 2030 as per the Climate Action Plan. This would avoid 4.7mt of CO2. Targeting 5TWh (terawatt hours) of indigenous biomethane production for use in heavy transport. This would avoid approximately 1mt of CO2. Targeting 2TWh of Hydrotreated Vegetable Oils (HVO). This would avoid approximately 0.4mt of CO2. Biofuels
Biofuels are the only measure that has had a meaningful impact at slowing the increasing emissions trend in the sector to-date. This is because biofuels represent the lowest cost decarbonisation option for transport and can be deployed quickly and sustainably using existing infrastructure.
The Biofuels Obligation Scheme was introduced in 2010 and requires suppliers of road transport fuels to include a certain percentage of environmentally sustainable biofuels across their general fuel mix.
Biofuels now account for over 5% of Ireland’s transport energy, bringing the same climate benefit as nearly half a million electric cars, avoiding 520,000t of CO2 emissions.
The most important bioliquids are bioethanol (made from sugar and cereal crops) used to replace petrol, and biodiesel (made mainly from vegetable oils and fats), used to replace diesel. To be compliant with European renewable and sustainability regulations, the use of biofuels must produce significant emissions savings.
Around 68% of all biofuels placed on the market in Ireland were produced from used cooking oil, while 15% were from animal fats (tallow). However, just 14% of raw materials used to make biofuels were sourced from Ireland, as 33% of raw materials are imported from China.
The report highlights that increasing the blend rate of sustainable biofuels to a minimum of 10% ethanol in petrol and 12% biodiesel in diesel would avoid an additional 0.4mt of CO2.
However, specifically increasing the biodiesel blend rate from 12% to 20% by 2025 could deliver 0.5Mt of CO2.
A substantial share of HGVs use central fuel storage, meaning they mostly or exclusively refuel from their own bulk supplies. With 20% biodiesel blends marketed as B20 already available on the market today, many HGV operators are well placed to switch from fossil diesel to this product.
If tax policy were to be amended such that B20 offered a cost advantage, this would be a low resistance way of increasing the utilisation of biofuels in the existing fleet.
However, with little will at Government level to incentivise farmers to produce the raw materials needed for biofuel production, the majority of the materials for biofuel production will continue to be imported.
Biomethane
Biomethane still remains an untapped renewable resource in Ireland. While many reports have indicated its strategic importance in decarbonising the heat sector, renewable biomethane gas can play as big a role in decarbonising the transport sector.
The report outlines a target of 5TWh of indigenous biomethane production for use in the heavy transport sector. This would require around 250 farm-scale anaerobic digestion plants supplied with sustainably-sourced feedstocks such as grass, energy crops and slurry.
The freight sector is key to the Irish economy and faces different challenges in decarbonisation than the passenger car sector. It is a sector that is hard to electrify and in the near-term, other measures are required.
There were approximately 136,000 HGVs in Ireland in 2020, accounting for 15% of transport energy. The fleet relies solely on diesel – just 57 trucks are powered by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG).
Biomethane is seen as a vital tool to decarbonise HGVs, as the technology is tried, tested and viable. By developing 5TWh of indigenous biomethane production for use in the freight industry, this would avoid approximately 1mt of CO2.
Furthermore, the development of a biomethane industry would contribute to rural employment and allow farming families to diversify incomes.
However, the penetration of biomethane as a HGV transport fuel is limited by the share of new CNG-HGV sales in the market, a lack of industry support and a lack of nationwide refuelling infrastructure.
Transport emissions profile
In 2018, the transport sector emitted 12mt CO2eq and must reduce to between 6-7mt CO2eq by 2030.Ireland’s transport emissions per capita are the fourth highest in the EU-27.Today there are over 1.2m diesel cars in Ireland and just under one million petrol cars.The amount of petrol consumed in Ireland reduced by more than half between 2007 and 2018 due to the shift to diesel cars.In Ireland, over 35bn kilometres were driven by private cars in 2018.There were approximately 136,000 HGVs in Ireland in 2020, accounting for 15% of transport energy, most of which use diesel.Biofuels delivered 520,000t of CO2 savings in 2020. This is the emissions equivalent of taking 230,000 petrol cars off the road. 
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