OFTEC NEWS
The Alliance for Zero Carbon Heating (TAZCH) lobbying at the Oireachtas.
“As it is written, the Government is set on a policy which will increase the cost of heating in Ireland for no positive benefit.” Directive, mandating all new buildings to be zero emission from 2030. So, liquid fuelled boilers do have a viable future – they don’t have to run on 100% fossil fuel. Far from it. We can see clearly around the world that other countries are embracing renewable blends, and Ireland is about to embark on that journey. However, Government needs to be bolder and embrace realistic targets that work for the sector, the homeowner and the decarbonisation targets.
on a policy which will increase the cost of heating in Ireland for no positive benefit. We recently hosted a Eurofuel meeting in Dublin at which we heard from other countries and their move to blended fuels. In Germany, a 10% HVO blend is already in use; in France, a 30% blend for any new boilers since 2022 is a requirement; and in the USA, blends of 5%, 10% and 20% are commonplace with B20 (20% blend called Bioheat) being eligible for a tax credit of 20c per gallon in New York State. Looking to the future, liquid-fuelled boilers will still be part of the heating fabric for years to come. In Germany a pragmatic approach has been adopted. They have agreed to scrap a heating law which would have introduced mandatory renewables in newbuilds and many municipal areas.
Olaf Scholz, drew opposition from conservatives and some media over fears it would force households to scrap gas and oil heaters and spend thousands of euros on new green systems. Under the agreement, the heating law will be replaced by a new building modernisation law that will drop the requirement to include mandatory renewable elements. Households will be allowed to keep existing boilers if they choose not to switch to alternative systems like heat pumps, district heating and biomass systems. The new law will, however, require new gas and oil systems to blend in climate- neutral fuels from 2029, increasing their level gradually from the current 10% ratio to 60% by 2040. The law, which reiterates Germany’s commitment to achieve climate neutrality by 2045, will also implement the EU’s Buildings
The heating law, passed under the government of former Chancellor
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 Want to know more?
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