Written answers

Wednesday, 17 January 2018

Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment

Bioenergy Strategy

Photo of Catherine MartinCatherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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169. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the cost per tonne of greenhouse gas emissions abated by means of the biofuels obligations scheme; the source of this estimate; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2360/18]

Photo of Catherine MartinCatherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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170. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the sustainability standards applied to biofuels used here; his plans to improve these standards; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2364/18]

Photo of Catherine MartinCatherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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171. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the percentage of petrol fuelled vehicles here capable of using E10 fuel without difficulties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2365/18]

Photo of Catherine MartinCatherine Martin (Dublin Rathdown, Green Party)
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172. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the percentage of diesel fuelled vehicles here capable of using B7 fuel without difficulties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2366/18]

Photo of Denis NaughtenDenis Naughten (Roscommon-Galway, Independent)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 169 to 172, inclusive, together.

The Biofuels Obligation Scheme was introduced in 2010 and requires suppliers of motor fuel to ensure that biofuels make up a certain percentage of national annual fuel sales.  It is a certificate based scheme with two certificates awarded per litre of sustainable biofuel if that biofuel is produced from wastes or residues and one certificate per litre for all other sustainable biofuels. 

For each calendar year, a fuel supplier must hold sufficient biofuel obligation certificates to demonstrate compliance.  The number of certificates required is determined by the biofuels obligation rate, which is currently set at 8%.  This means that at the end of 2017, a fuel supplier must hold 8 biofuel certificates for every 92 litres of fossil fuel they placed on the road transport fuel market in 2017.

The Biofuels Obligation Scheme is administered by the National Oil Reserves Agency (NORA).  In the Biofuels Obligations Scheme Annual Report for 2016, which is available at www.nora.ie, NORA reports that over 174 million litres of sustainable biofuels were placed on the Irish road transport fuel market in that year.  This equated to an average 78% reduction in carbon intensity when compared to an equivalent volume of fossil fuel based road transport fuels.  NORA estimate this represents emissions savings of circa 324 thousand tonnes of carbon dioxide. The cost of the biofuel component in fuels are absorbed into the price of the fuel by the industry and hence it is not possible to state a cost  per tonne of emissions savings.

The 2009 Renewable Energy Directive specifies a set of strict sustainability criteria which biofuels must meet in order to be counted towards a Member State’s renewable energy transport target.  Under these criteria, biofuels may not be made from raw materials originating from tropical forests or recently deforested areas, drained peatland, wetland or highly biodiverse areas. 

Under the European Union (Biofuel Sustainability Criteria) Regulations 2012, obligated parties must demonstrate compliance with these sustainability criteria in order to claim certificates for biofuels placed on the road transport fuel market.  There are no plans at this stage to amend these criteria.

In relation to the use of B7 (diesel blended with 7% biodiesel), all diesel vehicles can operate with this fuel.  However there are some concerns with performance of the fuel in winter and, for this reason, this blend is generally only available for part of the year.  I do not have exact figures for petrol vehicles compatible with E10 (petrol blended with 10% ethanol), however I understand that a significant proportion of the Irish petrol vehicle fleet can operate with this fuel. All vehicles manufactured since 2011, and the majority of pre-2011 vehicles, can operate effectively using E10.  There are no issues with any petrol vehicle using E5, which is the highest blend of petrol biofuel currently available.  Any plans to move to E10 in the future will require consideration as to how to accommodate vehicles not compatible with E10. My Department is currently holding a public consultation on the Biofuels Obligation Scheme which is seeking feedback on the best way forward if higher blends of biofuels in petrol or diesel are to be deployed. Details on the consultation, which closes on 19 January 2018, can be found on my Department’s website at www.dccae.gov.ie.

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