Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 100: To ask the Minister for Education and Science if any research is currently funded by her Department into biofuels; the plans in place for the next five years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [13121/05]

Mary Hanafin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

My Department, through its agencies, is currently funding a number of projects in this area. The agencies and projects are the following.

The Higher Education Authority, under the programme for research in third level institutions, is funding: Environment Research Institute, University College Cork, which aims to develop expertise in the areas of wind energy and other sustainable energy sources; Urban Institute, University College Dublin, which conducts research into components on energy and resource efficiency and energy conservation, transport policy; Environmental Change Institute, NUIG, which is overseeing research projects in areas such as the maximisation of biological renewable energy generation — methane — from organic wastes and wastewaters: role, impact and control of sulphate reducing bacteria or SRB.

The Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering and Technology is funding four individual researchers who are undertaking the following research projects in the area of biofuels: energy and chemicals from converted biomass technologies; development of an integrated heat pump energy simulation model for green buildings; proton transport in new materials for fuel cells; technical and economic analysis of renewable generation connected into the electricity distribution grid.

Finally, there are two projects in the institute of technology sector which are being funded under the technological sector research programme. These are in IT, Carlow — biothanol from waste for use as a fuel — and Limerick IT — design as a wind VSCF converter.

The policy issues associated with renewable energy sources are matters for my colleague, the Minister for Communications, Marine and Natural Resources. A dedicated agency, Sustainable Energy Ireland, SEI, was established under the aegis of his Department in May 2002 for the purpose of addressing these issues. I understand that SEI may also commission research projects in this area.