Barry Ward (Dún Laoghaire, Fine Gael)
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59. To ask the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport if he will raise at upcoming meetings of the EU Energy Council the issue of EU anti-dumping and anti-subsidy duties on US-origin hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO); his assessment of the implications of these measures for our renewable fuel supply, pricing and security of supply; and how this aligns with the Programme for Government commitments to continue with the significant annual increases in the road transport fuels Obligation mandate, and support decarbonisation of road freight and commercial coaches with fuels such as HVO. [55624/25]

Darragh O'Brien (Dublin Fingal East, Fianna Fail)
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The European Commission has imposed an anti-dumping duty on imports of biodiesel and HVO from the USA noting that otherwise the Union industry would be faced with unfair competition from US biodiesel producers. This measure is due to expire in 2026, but an expiry review may be sought. Trade defence instruments are a matter for the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and my Department will continue to engage with that Department to ensure that EU trade measures are implemented in a way that does not undermine Ireland’s ability to meet climate targets and security of fuel supply.

International competition must not come at the expense of maintaining the environmental and social standards set out in the Renewable Energy Directive and harmonised across the Union, particularly as the EU moves towards greater supply of advanced biofuel.

The supply of renewable transport fuels such as HVO in the transport sector in Ireland is driven by the Climate Action Plan target of 10% ethanol in petrol and 20% biodiesel equivalent in diesel by 2030, implemented through the Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO), which places a statutory obligation on suppliers of road transport (fossil) fuels to ensure that a proportion of the fuels they place on the market in Ireland is produced from renewable sources. The Renewable Transport Fuel Policy 2025-2027 sets out a pathway to incentivise supply of renewable fuel in transport through annual increases in the RTFO rate to 2030, as well as ensuring EU sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions reduction criteria are adhered to. RTFO obligated parties have a variety of renewable fuel pathways to meet the obligation, ensuring flexibility and incentivising a competitive market to deliver increased renewables in transport.

Supply of HVO is incentivised under the RTFO through the award of additional certificates, an incentive which was introduced in 2023 by Ministerial regulation to incentivise supply of certain renewable fuels supporting delivery of EU renewable energy and Climate Action Plan targets.

The Renewable Transport Fuel Policy also outlines my Department’s commitment to considering the need to support and develop supply of biofuels and biogas produced in Ireland in the implementation of the policy. Developing Ireland’s domestic biofuel supply potential will have benefits for diversity and security of supply as well as economic and environmental benefits.

The 2022 Biofuel Study provided assurance as to the availability of sustainable biofuel and feedstocks to achieve biofuel blending targets set in the Climate Action Plan (E10 in petrol and B20 in diesel by 2030). In relation to price, under the Renewable Transport Fuel Policy my Department will undertake an assessment to establish a means to track the price impacts of intervention in the fuel market through the RTFO.

With regard to the Programme for Government commitments, my Department is finalising a study on HVO use in the sector which seeks to measure the volume of HVO currently used, likely future availability and price, decarbonisation potential and the feasibility of policy interventions to increase the use of HVO which would not risk a delay to the ultimate trajectory for the transition to zero emission HDV fleets. The interim results of the study were presented at a meeting of the Road Freight Forum on 14 May and the final draft of the report is currently being reviewed by Department officials. The report will be published on gov.ie in the coming weeks.