OFTEC NEWS
scenario to 188Mt CO2eq and decrease by 8Mt CO2eq in the WAM scenario to 192 Mt CO2eq. With this carryover, Budget 2 is projected to be exceeded by 114Mt CO2eq in the WEM scenario and by 77Mt CO2eq in the WAM scenario. Consequently, far higher emissions cuts will be needed to comply with Budget period 3 and subsequent carbon budgets. For us, the key point is that a 51% reduction by 2030 is even further out of reach than what was projected in 2023 (29%). It now looks as if we will be lucky to hit 23%. Other matters that jump out are that residential buildings are only expected to hit a 22% reduction instead of the target of 40% by 2030. So, what can be done about it? Simple, introduce a renewable heating obligation at a realistic rate that can work alongside electrification and offer off-grid homes a solution that is readily available and offers immediate carbon reductions. We think that message is getting through. Last month, the Government issued some guidance around the proposed
RHO and first indicators are that they would be starting at an obligation rate of 1.5% in year one, rising to 3% in year two with a stepped approach to 15% by 2030. While a renewable obligation is very good news indeed for the liquid fuel sector, a starting blend of 1.5% is too low and instead of driving the supply of renewable heat, it risks becoming little more than a paper exercise in certificate trading with negligible impact on fossil fuel use. As a sector, we are fully committed to accelerating the uptake of renewable fuels for heating. The RHO, if properly designed, could be a transformative milestone, but in its current form, we believe the scheme is fundamentally flawed and will not deliver on its core objective: reducing emissions. The RHO was presented as a tool to lower heating emissions - a critical goal, especially in light of EPA projections already mentioned. That aim was, we believe, sincere. OFTEC, along with UKIFDA and Fuels for Ireland, working together as The Alliance for Zero Carbon Heating (TAZCH), are
working hard to get the Minister and DECC to up the percentage blend. We have published a paper, Renewable Heat Obligation, We must go further and faster, which we have sent to all TDs pushing hard our proposed alternative: the immediate introduction of a 20% renewable liquid fuel blend. This level of blend would deliver immediate, significant emissions reductions. A 20% blend would cut oil-heating emissions by 0.5Mt CO₂eq annually - reversing the projected increase. That is equivalent to installing 160,000 heat pumps, something that would take 26 years at the current pace. It is designed to minimise disruption and cost to consumers, a crucial consideration for any successful climate policy. By the time this goes to print, we will have met Minister O’Brien and, hopefully, convinced him and his civil servants that to introduce a blend at 20% is not only the sensible option, but the correct decision to win the hearts and minds of off-grid liquid fuel users and reduce emissions substantially at the same time.
David Blevings, OFTEC Ireland Manager on T: +44 (0)28 9186 2916 Sean McBride, Ireland Representative on T: +44 (0)7540 502 304 (NI) or +353 (0)87 241 7041 (RoI) www.oftec.org
PLUMBING & HEATING MAGAZINE | 29
www.plumbingmag.com FOLLOW US ON:
Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online