Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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474. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the amount of imported biomass in each of the past five years to date; the location from which it came; the generating stations at which it was consumed; the amount of electricity produced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53973/18]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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475. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment the number of entities importing biomass; the generating stations to which the fuel is deployed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53974/18]

Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 474 and 475 together.

Information regarding the sources of electricity generation including biomass are publicly available in the report entitled Energy in Ireland, published by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) earlier this month and available on the their website at www.seai.ie.

SEAI’s data shows that in 2017, approximately €439 million in fossil fuel imports were avoided by the use of renewable energy and that electricity generated from biomass accounted for 8% of renewable electricity in 2017. In terms of Ireland’s energy balance, imports of renewable energy in 2017 were 159 kilo tonnes of oil equivalent (Ktoe) which includes biomass for use in electricity generation.

Specific data regarding the fuel supply of individual generating stations is a commercial matter for the companies involved. Regarding biomass used for electricity generation at the Edenderry co-firing plant, Bord na Mona’s most recent annual report states that 80% of the biomass used in the Edenderry power station in the year to end March 2018 came from domestic sources.

The table below provides data from SEAI in tonnes of oil equivalent of biomass used for electricity generation for biomass co-firing and Combined Heat and Power from 2012 to 2017.