Written answers
Thursday, 1 June 2023
Department of Communications, Climate Action and Environment
Renewable Energy Generation
Richard Bruton (Dublin Bay North, Fine Gael)
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150. To ask the Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment if he will outline the potential for alternative energy sources to be developed within local communities, or at the level of a small business or farm under the respective opportunities for solar, small-scale wind, anaerobic digestion, biofuels, and so on; if, in each case, he will outline the potential for energy generation, and the impact in terms of economic activity of each; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27040/23]
Eamon Ryan (Dublin Bay South, Green Party)
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My Department has developed a number of schemes to support production of renewable electricity in Ireland which are open to community participation. These schemes include the grid scale, auction based Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS) - of which the third onshore auction is to be held in 2023, and the Microgeneration Support Scheme (MSS), for smaller installations, up to 50 kW in size (30kWe for micro-renewable Combined Heat and Power).
My Department is also developing a Small-Scale Generation Scheme (SSGS) to support non-domestic renewable electricity generators above 50kW, but smaller than those supported under the RESS. This scheme will enable larger businesses, farms, public buildings, and community projects to maximise their participation in the energy transition.
The scheme proposes to support applicants, including renewables self-consumers, to install renewable electricity generators up to 1MW, with 100% Renewable Energy Community (REC) projects to be supported up to 6MW. My Department is progressing the scheme design and I expect to launch the SSGS later this year.
The RESS and MSS schemes both include Anaerobic Digestion (AD) for electricity generation with High Efficiency Combined Heat and Power as an eligible technology. However, no AD projects have come through the RESS auctions to date.
Anaerobic digestion for renewable heat is supported through the Support Scheme for Renewable Heat (SSRH). The SSRH is a Government funded initiative designed to increase the energy generated from renewable sources in the heat sector, whilst also reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The scheme is open to commercial, industrial, agricultural, district heating, public sector and other non-domestic heat users and is administered by the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI).
Furthermore, a dedicated Biomethane Working Group, chaired by the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine, has been established. Its purpose is to oversee an all-of-Government approach to developing a National Biomethane Strategy, which aims to deliver up to the 5.7TWh of indigenously produced biomethane by 2030.
Regarding biofuels, within the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), the supply of biomethane in transport is incentivised through the issue of additional RTFO certificates.
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