Alternative energy in need of investment

WIND, wave and wood should become key elements of the country’s fuel supply but much more research and investment is needed to get the ideas off the ground.

An Oireachtas committee called for a series of “ambitious and visionary” targets to kickstart the industry in renewable energies. They said renewable resources should replace 20% of the country’s total energy needs by 2020 and 50% by 5050.

One immediate measure would be to boost the production and use of biofuels, which can be made from rapeseed oil, recovered vegetable oils from the catering industry and beef tallow from the rendering industry, and bioethanol which is extracted from sugar beet and wheat.

The committee said all excise duties should be removed from biofuels to keep the cost lower while the industry grew to an economically viable size. They noted that the Government had enjoyed increased revenues from the excise on oil and gas which had both increased in price, and said the extra money could be used to offset the cost of a waiver for biofuels.

They also said VRT (vehicle registration tax) and motor tax should be reduced for vehicles running on biofuels and they said the possibility of converting the Mallow sugar factory to a bioethanol production plant should be investigated.

A capital grant scheme to support the installation of biomass boilers was also urged. Biomass is mainly made up of wood in the form of sawdust and shavings from sawmills and thinnings from forestry but it can also be made from agricultural waste such as straw.

The committee said Ireland also had the best wind resource in Europe and one of the highest wave energy levels in the world. One study had estimated that the Irish coastline could provide twice the country’s electricity needs.

The committee called for accelerated investment in research and incentives for industry to become involved in wind and wave energy production.