Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)

The 2007 Energy White Paper set overarching targets for penetration of renewable energy in the electricity, heat and transport sector. These targets are 40% renewable electricity, 12% renewable heat and 10% renewable energy in transport. These three sectoral targets are in line with meeting our renewable energy directive target which sets a binding 16% penetration of all energy from renewable sources.

Currently, Ireland imports some 90% of its fuel to meet demand at a cost of approximately €6 billion per annum. Developing renewable sources of energy, including energy from biomass, will help Ireland to reduce its dependence on these imports. In addition, because sustainable biomass is considered carbon neutral, it will also assist Ireland in meeting its climate change commitments under the Kyoto Protocol and the 2020 European Union targets.

In order to support renewable energy from biomass and waste, my Department is in the process of introducing new tariffs for biomass technologies under the renewable energy feed in tariff, REFIT, scheme. REFIT is designed to provide certainty to renewable electricity generators as to the price they receive. It has been in operation for wind, landfill gas and hydro power since 2006, acting to ensure a guaranteed price for each unit of electricity exported to the grid by paying the difference between the wholesale price for electricity and the REFIT price. The tariffs for biomass technologies will range from 8.5 cent per kilowatt hour to 15 cent an hour depending on the technology deployed and will include higher tariffs where the heat generated by a plant is being used more effectively. These biomass REFIT rates are in the final stages of being cleared through the State aid process by DG Competition in Brussels.

Other measures that will assist the development of biomass include the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food's bio-energy scheme, which offers supports to farmers to grow miscanthus and willow for use as energy crops, and afforestation grants to encourage new forests. Full details of all these scheme supports are available from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food.

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