Catherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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67. To ask the Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources if he envisages a long-term future for the burning of biomass in electric power generation. [38624/16]

Denis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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The Programme for Government contains a commitment to further decrease Ireland's dependence on imported fossil fuels through the use of indigenous renewable energy resources. This commitment builds on the 2015 Energy White Paper which recognised the long-term strategic importance of diversifying Ireland's energy generation portfolio. While Biomass will have a role to play in this regard, I am also aware that the use of biomass in the energy mix can lead to an increase in emissions particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxides (NOx).  Thus, measures will be needed to minimise the risk of exacerbating air quality issues through the use of appropriate technology standards and fuel quality.

The REFIT 3 (Renewable Energy Feed in Tariff) scheme, which closed at the end of 2015, was designed to incentivise the addition of 310 MW of renewable electricity from biomass technologies to the Irish electricity grid. Technologies included electricity from solid biomass and the co-firing of biomass in peat powered stations. A number of projects will receive support to 2030 under REFIT3 including some producing electricity from the combustion of biomass.

My Department is currently working on the development of a new renewable electricity support scheme (RESS). As part of this process, a range of renewable energy technologies are being assessed, including electricity from biomass. The first Technology Review public consultation on the new renewable support scheme was published in 2015 and following the completion of detailed economic analysis on the viability and cost effectiveness of supporting a range of renewable technologies a second public consultation will be published in early 2017. Details of the next public consultation will be advertised on the Department's website .

While the future supports for biomass in the electricity sector will be decided in the context of the new support scheme, a 2015 Government-commissioned technical analysis considered biomass usage and concluded that Ireland’s limited biomass resource would be more efficiently deployed in the heating sector. In this context, biomass is expected to be supported as part of the new Renewable Heat Incentive which will be introduced in the second half of 2017.