Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 71: To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources the position regarding the co-firing targets including the three peat burning stations in the midlands and the likelihood of reaching the 30% target set out by him by 2015; if he will give assurances that house material, such as woodchip, would be sourced for these stations indigenously rather than being imported; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16632/10]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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The Government's Energy Policy Framework 2007 sets out a target for co-firing in peat stations of 30% by 2015. Both ESB and Bord na Móna have been conducting a programme of research and development, including large scale co-firing trials with a variety of materials. The trials have also encompassed laboratory tests on the chemical and physical properties of various materials. Decisions by ESB and Bord na Móna on what material to co-fire and the timing of the move to introduce large scale co-firing will be taken in light of the ongoing trials.

Both companies have been in discussions with a number of market players around sourcing potential supplies for the co-firing material. The companies themselves will be responsible for making the commercial decisions to award any such contracts. The objective is to utilise domestically produced biomass as much as possible, and my Department is working closely with the Department of Agriculture to ensure that their support schemes for energy crops and forestry are in alignment with the scale of demand that may ultimately arise as a result of the co-firing process.