Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 March 2021
12. Deputy Duncan Smith asked the Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications his plans to encourage beef farmers to engage in the production of biofuels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13735/21]
View answerThe agriculture sector has the potential to supply biomass fuels and feedstock that can be used to sustainably produce biofuels and biogas. Direct s upports for the agriculture sector are a matter for my colleague the Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
The Biofuels Obligation Scheme, which is a policy matter for my role as Minister for Transport, stimulates demand for the use of sustainable biofuels in the transport sector. This can provide an incentive for the supply of feedstock to produce sustainable biofuels.
The Support Scheme for Renewable Heat, supports the adoption of renewable heating systems by commercial, industrial, agricultural, district heating and other non-domestic heat users. This support, which is funded by my Department and operated by the SEAI, supports the adoption of heating systems that use solid biomass fuels and heating systems that produce and use biogas via a process called anaerobic digestion. As the uptake for this support increases in future years, it is expected to increase the demand for solid biomass fuels and feedstock to sustainably produce biogas.
Biogas can also be produced via anaerobic digestion and injected into the gas grid - at which point it is described as biomethane. My Department, over the course of this year, is considering potential options that could support this activity. While I do not envisage a direct Exchequer support, the National Energy and Climate Plan sets out the potential for a renewable energy obligation to be introduced in the heat sector similar to the obligation that is already in place in the transport sector. If such an obligation were to be introduced, it could further increase the demand for feedstock to sustainably produce biogas.
