Reliance on imported energy rises to 90%

IRELAND has the potential to secure an extra 5% of its energy needs from refined wood fuels, Sustainable Energy Ireland said at Wood Energy Week yesterday.

It said Ireland’s dependency on imported energy has reached 90%, against an EU average of about 50%.

Imported oil remains the dominant energy source and a large part of Ireland’s power generation. Industrial production requirements are critically dependent on oil.

SEI said there is a continued threat of climate change, volatile oil prices and rising energy demands. The domestic and commercial sectors are beginning to look for more secure and less environmentally harmful sources of energy. Wood- based fuels are coming to the fore as one possible solution.

Wood Energy Week, organised by SEI and COFORD (National Council for Forest Research and Development), was launched in Letterkenny, Co Donegal, by Forestry Minister Mary Wallace.

During the week leading wood technology energy experts from Ireland, Austria, Finland, Denmark and Germany will share their experiences and expertise in a series of countrywide events.