Biofuels Law presented to the Oireachtas
Issued: 09 February 2010
Statement by Eamon Ryan
Fuel suppliers obliged to ensure 4% biofuels mix from July
Green Party Energy Minister Eamon Ryan today introduced the Energy (Biofuel Obligation and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2010 to the Seanad.
With effect from July this year, the Bill will place an obligation on fuel suppliers to ensure that biofuels comprise 4% of their supplies. The scheme will be administered by the National Oil Reserves Agency (NORA) at no cost to the Exchequer.
Speaking in the Seanad, the Minister said, “This is an important departure for the motor and biofuels industries in Ireland. Biofuels will be an important fuel source for Ireland in the event of a disruption of our oil supplies. It is incumbent upon Government to source sustainable transport and heating fuels in Ireland.
Ireland is already transforming its power generation fuel supply and our overall energy use across the economy. This Bill is another step in this transformation.”
The Bill also grants additional powers to the Commission for Energy Regulation (CER) on the safety of liquefied natural gas (LNG) projects.