Developing bioenergy

The next renewables opportunity

The current level of bioenergy exploitation in Northern Ireland is very low (less than 1% of renewable electricity). This is despite favourable conditions within the local energy market where there is limited penetration of natural gas and where a high proportion of users are dependent on heating oil, electricity and coal. Northern Ireland is on course to meet its 2012 renewable energy targets, mainly from onshore wind generation but the draft Strategic Energy Framework published in 2009 proposed a renewable electricity target by 2020 of 40% for Northern Ireland with a target for renewable heat of at least 10%. If these targets are to be achieved it will be vital to develop renewable resources and capability beyond wind and this provides a valuable opportunity for bioenergy. This is a view shared by key energy sector players at the recent Energy Ireland conference when delegates were polled and they highlighted the bioenergy sector as a target for future growth.

Developing Northern Ireland’s bioenergy resource provides opportunities for a wide range of organisations and sectors. For Government it helps address security of supply issues and meet renewable energy targets; for businesses there are opportunities to produce and sell bioenergy fuels and technologies; for the agriculture sector there is a chance to diversify production and branch out into new energy supply businesses and for individuals and energy users there is an opportunity to lower their carbon footprint and reduce energy costs. The wide ranging and cross-cutting nature of the bioenergy challenge has led to a number of government departments and agencies coming together to draft a Bioenergy Action Plan for 2009-2014 setting out how Northern Ireland can capitalise on its valuable natural energy resources.

Featured speakers include:

	Ali Lloyd Principal Consultant, Pöyry Energy Consulting		David McKee Technical Director, B9 Organic Energy Ltd
	Joe O'Carroll Managing Director, Imperative Energy Ltd		Pearse Buckley Programme Manager, Biomass and CHP, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland
	Alan Little Senior Quantity Surveyor, The Carvill Group		Richard Murphy Senior Associate, McGrigors

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