Fossil-fuel body says it is being ignored in talks on Ireland's move to a green future

Fuels for Ireland said more work was needed on the infrastructure for Electric Vehicles (EVs). File photo: Laura Hutton/Photocall Ireland

Fuels for Ireland, formerly known as the Irish Petroleum Industry Association, called for engagement by policymakers as is set out what it called "plans for the industry to become carbon neutral by 2050".

The organisation, which is made up of Applegreen, Circle K, Corrib Oil, East Cork Oil, Emo, Inver Energy, Irving Oil, LCC, Maxol, Top Oil and Valero, claimed it could "play a leading role in making Ireland’s energy transition a reality".

The firms will significantly ramp up electric vehicle charging in forecourts, and have called for increased use in biofuels and hydrogen-powered transport.

Biofuels are derived from plants and animal waste, and the scientific consensus currently is that they help significantly reduce emissions and are sustainable, despite fears over increased water and land use. 

They include bioethanol made from sugars and starch, and biodiesel from vegetable oil.

Fuels for Ireland chief executive, Kevin McPartlan, told the Irish Examiner: "Our current taxation system is designed for kerosene, petrol, and diesel. Excise needs to be different from fossil fuels.

"The Government is perfectly happy to use taxes to disincentivise behaviour but lower taxes need to be in place to incentivise behaviour that will drive us forward in a greener way."

He said it was a source of frustration that organisations like his were not at the table when it came to policy.

"We supply 50%-plus of the energy consumed in Ireland and it is as if this energy transition can happen without really talking to us. We think it is really foolish.

"The Government talks about one million electric vehicles (EVs) by 2030 but we believe it would be far more sensible to see one million zero-emissions vehicles by 2030. That is much more realistic," he said.

His organisation was pro-EVs, he insisted, but the implementation of EV infrastructure was slow from the State.

"We’re big cheerleaders for EVs, because the longer people spend on the forecourt charging, the more they will spend inside. You make €1 profit on every €50 of diesel, but you could make double that on a coffee.

"How fast we can implement electric charging depends on the infrastructure needed to deal with them. We genuinely want to get them in, we would like to see the State and the electricity authorities to be more helpful in getting these things moving quickly. It is actually one of the largest blockages to increase the networks on our forecourts."

Emissions-free hydrogen-fuelled vehicles are likely to play a "big role" in Ireland's energy future with plans in place to establish up to 80 hydrogen fuel stations by 2030, the organisation said.

Despite hydrogen-powered vehicles themselves being emissions-efficient, the electricity required to power them can offset the emissions.

Fuels for Ireland would instead push for green hydrogen production in offshore and wind and solar power, Mr McPartlan said.