Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 15 December 2015
618. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources to outline the developments in the production of biodiesel and bioethanol, their contribution to projected renewable energy requirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [45373/15]
View answerThe 2009 Renewable Energy Directive sets all Member States a binding target that at least 10% of the energy used in the transport sector must come from renewable sources by 2020. Ireland aims to meet this target mainly through the use of sustainable biofuels with electric vehicles also making a small contribution.
The Biofuels Obligation Scheme was introduced in July 2010 as the primary means through which Ireland would meet the transport target and is the principal support for the uptake of biofuels in Ireland. The scheme, administered by the National Oil Reserves Agency (NORA), is certificate based and, since January 2013, an obligated road transport fuel supplier, at the end of each calendar year, must hold six biofuel obligation certificates for every 94 litres (6.383%) of petroleum based fuel it has placed on the road transport market. Two certificates are awarded for each litre of biofuel produced from wastes, residues, non-food cellulosic material, and ligno-cellulosic material placed on the market with one certificate awarded per litre of other biofuels. Certificates are only issued for biofuels that have been demonstrated to have complied with the sustainability criteria of the Renewable Energy Directive.
The 2014 Biofuels Obligation Scheme Annual Report, which can be downloaded from www.nora.ie, reported that almost 167 million litres of biofuel was placed on the road transport fuel market. Over 114 million litres was biodiesel (69%), of which 98 million litres of which was produced from wastes and residues, with approximately 25 million litres produced in Ireland. The remaining biodiesel was produced from oil crops, such as rape seed, palm and soy, all of which were imported. All bioethanol was imported and was from crop based feedstocks.
The European Commission recently adopted a Directive which limits to 7% the amount of energy that Member States can count towards their 2020 renewable energy targets in transport from certain crop based biofuels, whose use could lead to Indirect Land-Use Change (ILUC). The new Directive also contains incentives to encourage the development of advanced biofuels that do not affect food production.
