Dr. John MacNamara:

On imported biomass and biomass in general, without getting into the detail of the decision relating to the ESB, imported biomass is not outlawed. A very clear definition or schema was introduced in June 2018 in the recently recast renewables directive which laid down very specific and objective criteria that biomass must meet in order to be deemed sustainable. It is also necessary to meet EU timber regulations and the very strict phytosanitary conditions set by the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine. In essence, biomass and sustainable biomass are effectively the same thing, irrespective of their origin, as long as they meet the sustainability criteria set out in the EU directive.