Vol. 500 No. 5
108 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Public Enterprise if her Department has given consideration to combined heat and power and district heating schemes as a means of generating electricity; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4607/99]
I regard combined heat and power, CHP, as having an important contribution to make to reducing both energy costs and CO2 emissions.
CHP was included as a technology in the AER Programme which is aimed at increasing the use of more efficient means of generating electricity. Offers were made to successful applicants to conclude contracts with the ESB to generate electricity from 29 MW of CHP capacity in AER I, of which 18 MW has been delivered. The AER IV competition, the results of which were announced in August 1998, produced offers of up to 50 MW. These latter projects must be operational by the end of this year.
In addition, the Irish Energy Centre is currently providing support for an additional 22 MW of CHP capacity which will also be operational by the end of this year. The centre continues to promote CHP because it is a proven and reliable technology which reduces energy costs. Accordingly, by the end of 1999, up to 90MW of additional CHP capacity will have been installed.
As to district heating, this has been most successful in regions which have colder climates and higher population densities than Ireland. Further consideration will be given to CHP and district heating in the Green Paper on sustainable energy which I hope to publish in the near future.
109 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Public Enterprise if her Department has examined the potential of offshore wind farms for electricity generation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4608/99]
A study of the potential offshore wind energy resource of Ireland and Northern Ireland, as a source of renewable electricity generation, has been commissioned jointly by my Department and the Department of Economic Development, Belfast.
110 Mr. Gormley asked the Minister for Public Enterprise her Department's definition of alternative energy; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4609/99]
Section 2(1) of the Electricity Regulation Bill, 1998 defines renewable or alternative forms of energy as ".. energy used in the production of electricity which uses as its primary source one of the following: (a) wind; (b) hydro; (c) biomass; (d) waste; (e) tidal; (f) solar; (g) wave; "
111 Mr. Sargent asked the Minister for Public Enterprise if her attention has been drawn to the estimates by an organisation (details supplied) that an output of 100mw/year from the wind energy sector will be needed in order to meet the renewable target set by the EU; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28303/98]
The EU White Paper on renewable energy has set an indicative objective of doubling the share of renewable energy sources in gross inland energy consumption for the EU as a whole to 12 per cent by 2010. The White Paper does not set national targets.
The wind energy target referred to by the Deputy was mentioned in a submission by the organisation concerned in response to the consultation process which I initiated in preparation for the forthcoming Green Paper on sustainable energy. The Green Paper will explore the options available to Ireland to contribute to the EU target.
