Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Tuesday, 13 June 2023
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate Action
Decarbonisation of the Heat Sector: Discussion
Mr. Tom Marren:
I do not know whether I am qualified to say that. We looked at industry and when we took into account the amount of heat that it uses in the temperature range we are discussing, we know we can achieve this. If we could achieve that carbon reduction, it would assist us a great deal in achieving our overall carbon goals. Maybe that needs a little more focus because industrial heat is the area we need to be driving. As we are all aware, there are many challenges in many of the other areas. They will all ultimately have to be done in the next 20, 30 or 50 years. There is a sense of urgency about what can we do to deliver between now and 2030? In our view, this is achievable. It will have many other advantages for the country, including utilising indigenous renewable energy, delivering security of supply and reducing the infrastructural cost in electricity, which will ultimately reduce cost for end users. This ticks boxes in many areas. People are advocating for district heating but, having been in the energy game for 30 years, my view is that this is a target we can achieve at the lowest cost.