COP21 Paris agreement on Climate Change

The Paris agreement on Climate Change is historic, but the text is complicated, and so what does it actually mean? Here’s theEuropean Commission summary. The Guardian  in the UK sheds some clarity on the high-level/macro meaning. This Irish Independent article outlines what was agreed by the 195 countries, while a second Irish Indo article examines the implications for the agri-food sector. And for those of you with time on your hands, here’s the full downloadable agreement from the UNFCCC website.

IrBEA move to Dublin office – DCU Alpha

In early January 2016 IrBEA is moving from the current office in Carlow to a new base at Dublin City University Alpha (formerly called DCU Innovation Campus). While the Carlow office has served the association well, the new premises provides a more dynamic environment to explore opportunities for collaboration and communication, for example with DCU education, campus companies and with IrBEA members. A new phone number will be notified shortly. The new address is: Unit 104, DCU Alpha, Old Finglas Road, Glasnevin, Dublin 11, D11KXN4

REFIT 3 change document

DCENR updated some REFIT 3 rules on 16 December. This document sets out amendments that have been incorporated into the REFIT 3 Terms and Conditions for clarification purposes. The main document has been changed and although it doesn’t show up in a search on the DCENR website, the changes can be found through the IrBEA database here

IrBEA response to REFIT3 Consultation

On initial reading it appears the REFIT3 consultation document (notified to Members in an email 7 July as below) is largely a house keeping exercise. We noted that no changes were proposed around the HECHP requirements, or the rates – responses need to be made.

IrBEA has prepared a draft response to this consultation, led by Nick Rackard (Aughrim Energy & Chair of IrBEA’s Grid and REFIT Group). Draft response is available here.

Key findings and best practices from the Rokwood Project supporting short rotation plantations

Rokwood was an ambitious three-year, six-country study which aims to make the regionally based production of woody biomass economically attractive, technically feasible and environmentally sustainable. Funded by the European Commission, Rokwood focuses on researching the development, implementation, monitoring and utilisation of woody crops grown in short rotation plantations (SRPs). The project has come to an end but all the resources and research can be found at http://www.rokwood.eu/ The final report from this project can be found here

Renewable heat incentive – needed now more than ever

Delayed Government policy is halting heat market development and job creation. IrBEA is lobbying for more urgent action from Government. Read IrBEA blog

Update on Energy Crops Support

Eugene Hendrick (Department of Agriculture) Chairs a Working Group on biomass supply, and addressed the meeting Stakeholder Meeting with DCENR 24 Nov 2015. He reported that the bioenergy scheme, which has funded energy crops for several years, is currently closed pending a review in early 2016. A new forest-fibre scheme is also being assessed, which is looking at further unlocking of resources, and also possibly short rotation forestry (SRF).

Clarification Notice – applications under the REFIT Schemes.

While the closing date for REFIT schemes remains as 4pm on 31 December 2015, in response to a number of queries regarding the status of REFIT applications but which do not include a copy of full planning permission and/or a grid connection offer or agreement, DCENR has issued a clarification. See details.