News Update 10.03.2025

• Featured in the Business Post, Kevin McPartlan, Chief Executive of Fuels for Ireland, has stated?that the mandate for renewable home heating fuels is ‘too low’. The Alliance for Zero Carbon Heating wants the Renewable Heating Obligation (RHO) scheme to double its renewable energy mandate and merge it with the transport fuels scheme. Nicholas Hayes supports this, suggesting liquid fuels can achieve higher renewable integration faster than gas, delivering 20% renewables swiftly without extra investment. https://www.businesspost.ie/news/fuel-industry-lashes-renewables-scheme-for-home-heating/?

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• Eamon Ryan, former Minister for Environment and Climate, joins Hugh Linehan’s “Inside Politics” podcast by The Irish Times to discuss a report warning that Ireland could face EU fines of up to €26 billion for missing 2030 climate goals. Ryan sees it as a “mistake” to believe these fines won't be fully applied. He stresses the need for urgent action, including promoting electric vehicles, to avoid these penalties and combat climate change. https://www.irishtimes.com/podcasts/inside-politics/will-falling-behind-on-climate-cost-ireland-billions/?

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• The Irish Independent reveals that rising household incomes among Irish farmers have reduced the financial pressure to sign up for eco schemes like SCEP, which are often ‘under-subscribed’ due to front-loaded payments that often result in high tax liabilities and increased paperwork. According to the report, new schemes should recognise the improved financial positions of farm households, and focus on mid-sized farms that need support, rather than ‘outdated policies that don't address current needs’. https://www.independent.ie/farming/comment/angus-woods-why-farmers-are-no-longer-under-financial-pressure-to-sign-up-for-eco-schemes/a972650317.html?

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• RTé discusses various long-duration energy storage methods, including pumped water storage, hydrogen storage, thermal storage, compressed air energy storage, liquid air energy storage, and advanced battery technologies. Each method has unique advantages and challenges, and a combination of these technologies may be necessary to achieve a zero-carbon electricity system. https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2025/0310/1501149-energy-storage-alternatives-hydrogen-thermal-storage/?

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• According to The Irish Times, a radical overhaul of retrofit grants for private households in Ireland is under consideration. Government officials recommend greater support for older people and lower-income households to switch to clean energy. They propose group retrofitting projects to make the process more economical and emphasise the importance of improving grant accessibility and financing mechanisms.?https://www.irishtimes.com/environment/climate-crisis/2025/03/10/radical-overhaul-of-house-retrofit-grants-under-consideration/?

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• In a report by Agriland, the Irish Bioenergy Association (IrBEA) warns that biomethane production in Ireland must be incentivised and supported over cheaper imports. The current government target is 5.7 terawatt hours of biomethane annually by 2030, but IrBEA highlights issues with fraudulent non-EU biofuels distorting the market. CEO Seán Finan urges the government to exclude non-EU biofuels from compliance requirements to develop an indigenous biomethane industry. https://www.agriland.ie/farming-news/the-hares-corner-facilitates-simple-impactful-actions-for-nature/?

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• As Dublin Live reports, Ashbourne's Emerald Park has partnered with Flogas to enhance its commitment to sustainability. Flogas will provide renewable energy sources, including solar power and electric vehicle charging. The partnership includes the installation of 290 solar panels, which will generate enough clean energy for the park and zoo to operate solely on solar power for a month. Additionally, 20 EV charging units will be introduced soon. https://www.dublinlive.ie/whats-on/family-kids-news/emerald-park-announces-sustainable-energy-31167147?

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