As many readers of this publication will know, in Ireland we have three organisations with an interest in liquid fuels – OFTEC, UKIFDA and Fuels for Ireland. OFTEC represents manufacturers of liquid fuel equipment and technicians, UKIFDA the fuel distributors, and FFI looks after the interests of oil importers.
Rather than three groups all doing their own thing, several years ago we agreed to come together and establish TAZCH (The Alliance for Zero Carbon Heating).
Under this name, we have campaigned successfully on behalf of the liquid fuel sector, and a pre-election success was inclusion of the words ‘support the use of HVO and other biofuels to reduce emissions from existing homes’, which we welcomed.
“As part of our continuing campaign, we invited representatives from Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland to a presentation on how the liquid fuel sector plans to decarbonise domestic heating.
The meeting took place in Grant Engineering in Offaly and the reps from SEAI welcomed the presentation and tour of the facility. Many questions were asked about the equipment and fuel, including the inevitable questions about supply, affordability, sustainability, and availability of feedstock.
A constructive debate about the pros and cons of biofuels was had and SEAI did refer to the national heat study which said heat pumps and heat networks were the preferred choice without ruling out some biofuels.
We indicated that the sector could deliver decarbonisation very quickly and presented a blended pathway suggesting that the renewable heat obligation proposal at 2% was far too low and lacked ambition. We suggested we could deliver 20% this year and indeed, Certa are already offering a 20% HVO/kero blend currently.
The key learning point for us was that SEAI holds functions as both a delivery agency and as a research and analysis performing organisation providing evidence to support to energy policymakers. The references to evidence at the meeting emphasised how the National Heat Study outputs have supported, and informed policy decisions, and in turn SEAI delivery programmes are guided by the ministerial direction they are given.
We did advise SEAI that all forms of low- and no-carbon heating will be required if we stand a chance to deliver on the 2030 targets. We acknowledge that heat pumps have their place in a thermally-efficient house but, for the majority of older and off-grid homes, we still believe sustainable biofuels are the right choice.
The new Programme for Government (PFG) states that the Government will consider the use of sustainable biofuels to reduce emissions from existing home boilers where deep retrofits are not possible in the short term.
Given that we are now in the PFG, and with increasing support for the deployment of biofuels in the heat sector, we are confident that the mood is right for getting politicians to show some ambition and introduce a renewable heat obligation at a realistic level that will set us down a pathway for a blended approach away from traditional kerosene.
