Dáil debates

Thursday, 22 April 2010

Energy (Biofuel Obligation and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010 [Seanad]: Second Stage

 

2:00 pm

Photo of Seán FlemingSeán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

I am taking closer to 15 minutes, as agreed with the Deputy with whom I am sharing.

Part 2 of the Bill is, essentially, section 3 which deals with the bio-fuel obligation. It inserts the new Part 5(a) into the original principal Act. I mentioned the National Oil Reserves Agency Act 2007. Pages 6 to 30, or some three-quarters of the Bill before the House, in essence insert a new part, 5(a), into the existing legislation and it is for that reason that references to sections seem somewhat complicated.

However, I move to the nuts and bolts of the issue I wish to highlight. There are two definitions regarding bio-fuel obligation. The definition of bio-fuel is "liquid or gaseous fuel for transport produced from biomass". Biomass is defined on page 6 as "the biodegradable fraction of products, waste or residue from biological origin or agriculture, including vegetal and animal substances, forestry and related industries including fisheries and aquaculture, as well as biodegradable fractions of industrial and municipal waste". I ask the Minister to amend one section, under careful consideration. Might we add three words to line 17, which deals with the definition of bio-fuels? Bio-fuel means fuel for transport that is produced from biomass. I ask for the inclusion of the phrase "or recovered resources". That may be a slightly different issue but it is significant.

Recently I was amazed by, and found very educational, a visit to a company, Cynar Recycling Limited, in Portlaoise. It takes in waste plastics, black plastic silage wrap - it is cleaned if dirty - and mixed plastics, including all the blue plastic bags which still come from supermarkets whenever people pay their plastic bag levy. The company is able to recycle plastic bags into fuel which is suitable for sale on our forecourts. This is a phenomenal new facility but it is excluded from this Bill and wants the matter of recovered resources to be included. The company has developed, and is operating, the waste plastics to liquid fuel plant in Portlaoise, using groundbreaking and innovative technology that could assist Ireland in meeting its bio-fuel obligation. Inserting the words "recovered resources" would see the inclusion of a company such as this.

This is a growing area in waste management. Given that Ireland consumes more than 10 billion litres of hydrocarbon fuels annually, the setting of a precise bio-fuel obligation is to be commended. We look forward to reaching our target. However, displacing that 4% of hydrocarbon equates to replacing 400 million litres per annum which will be a considerable challenge and may require significant imports, perhaps from South America as already mentioned, if we cannot produce that amount in this country.

In advancing debate and doing everything possible to meet the obligation it is of value to revisit the globally and nationally recognised hierarchy of waste. Within the hierarchy, re-use and recovery of waste are potential options in enhancing Ireland's ability to meet the bio-fuel obligation. The opportunity exists at this stage of the Bill to define bio-fuels appropriately and include the re-use and recovery of all possible hydrocarbon sources. Broadening the bio-fuel obligation to capture the potential hydrocarbon value of waste streams will greatly assist in meeting our 4% obligation and will contribute to our overall target in the year ahead. The precedent exists of taking a broad definition, as in the case of alternative energy which includes hydro, tide, nuclear, solar and wind energies.

It would be of benefit to the State to ensure that every potential source of alternative hydrocarbon fuel is captured and not allowed to escape an optimal end use. This will assist in delivering the bio-fuel obligation rather than have materials end up in incinerator use or being disposed of in landfill.

If there is a facility in this country to produce fuel from recycled plastics, silage wrap, mixed plastics and various such items, we should consider adding those three words to the definition of bio-fuel, either at this point or elsewhere in the legislation. This would open up an entire new area and allow us produce fuels.

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