Renewable mandate within the Irish Heating Sector

Notification of Ireland's Renewable Heat Obligation Scheme

For the purpose of ensuring that a prescribed amount of renewable fuel is achieved in the Irish heating sector, Ireland intends to introduce a National Renewable Heat Obligation Scheme. The Scheme will obligate Irish suppliers of fossil fuels used for heating purposes to ensure a proportion of the energy they supply is renewable. The Scheme will ensure the increased use of renewable fuel types across the full heating sector, with the primary aims of supporting the achievement of Ireland's heating and cooling targets and increasing production of domestic renewable fuels.

A second objective of the Scheme is to support the development of Ireland’s indigenous biomethane industry. Domestic biomethane production will play a crucial role in the decarbonisation of the Irish agriculture sector and support Ireland’s security of energy supply.
All renewable fuels used for heating purposes that satisfy the sustainability criteria of the Renewable Energy Directive, and regardless of country of origin, are considered eligible for certification under the scheme.
Head 14 ‘Renewable heat obligation certificate’ of the notified draft regulation prescribes an additional certificate value 0.5 which will be applied to every unit of biomethane produced within the Republic of Ireland and surrendered under the Renewable Heat Obligation Scheme