Message 001
Communication from the Commission - TRIS/(2025) 3759
Directive (EU) 2015/1535
Notification: 2025/0786/IE
Notification of a draft text from a Member State
Notification – Notification – Notifzierung – Нотификация – Oznámení – Notifikation – Γνωστοποίηση – Notificación – Teavitamine – Ilmoitus – Obavijest – Bejelentés – Notifica – Pranešimas – Paziņojums – Notifika – Kennisgeving – Zawiadomienie – Notificação – Notificare – Oznámenie – Obvestilo – Anmälan – Fógra a thabhairt
Does not open the delays - N'ouvre pas de délai - Kein Fristbeginn - Не се предвижда период на прекъсване - Nezahajuje prodlení - Fristerne indledes ikke - Καμμία έναρξη προθεσμίας - No abre el plazo - Viivituste perioodi ei avata - Määräaika ei ala tästä - Ne otvara razdoblje kašnjenja - Nem nyitja meg a késéseket - Non fa decorrere la mora - Atidėjimai nepradedami - Atlikšanas laikposms nesākas - Ma jiftaħx il-perijodi ta’ dewmien - Geen termijnbegin - Nie otwiera opóźnień - Não inicia o prazo - Nu deschide perioadele de stagnare - Nezačína oneskorenia - Ne uvaja zamud - Inleder ingen frist - Ní osclaíonn sé na moilleanna
MSG: 20253759.EN
1. MSG 001 IND 2025 0786 IE EN 23-12-2025 IE NOTIF
2. Ireland
3A. Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment
3B. Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment
4. 2025/0786/IE - N50E - Renewable energy
5. Notification of Ireland's Renewable Heat Obligation Scheme
6. Renewable mandate within the Irish Heating Sector
7.
8. 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.
9. Ireland’s import dependency ratio for energy is 80%, which is one of the highest dependency ratios in the EU. Natural gas in particular plays a large role in Ireland’s energy system. Currently, approximately 30% of Ireland’s primary energy needs are met by natural gas, of which 40% is used for heating and almost 50% for electricity generation.
Ireland’s National Energy Security Framework outlines the structures which are in place to monitor and manage our energy supplies, measures to reduce our dependency on imported fossil fuels, and a commitment to deliver significant increases in renewable gas.
Ireland has committed to deliver up to 5.7TWh of indigenously produced biomethane by 2030. A production target of 5.7TWh represents approximately 10% of Ireland’s current gas demand.
Ireland has a significant agricultural sector and will require all available technology and change of farming of methods to reduce its GHG emissions in line with other sectors of the economy. Domestic biomethane production will be crucial in this regard.
The development of a biomethane industry will provide significant opportunities to reduce emissions in agriculture through diversification opportunities for livestock farmers, reduced emissions from animal wastes, biobased fertiliser replacing chemical fertiliser and carbon sequestration on land.
Biomethane production is at a nascent stage of development in Ireland. Ireland currently has two operational biomethane facilities injecting into the gas grid. The volume of biomethane injected into the grid is minimal, equating to c. 75 GWh per annum, which is equivalent to 0.001% of Ireland’s current gas demand.
Analysis indicates that as a result of a nascent stage market comprised of unsubsidised gas, Ireland is now placed at an economically disadvantageous position within the EU biomethane market, due to an inherently higher cost of production.Ireland has now developed a Renewable Heat Obligation Scheme. Head 14 of the General Scheme ‘Renewable heat obligation certificate’ in the notified draft regulation prescribes an additional certificate value 0.5 which will be applied to every unit of biomethane produced within the Ireland (excluding Northern Ireland) and surrendered under the Renewable Heat Obligation Scheme.
The notified draft regulation has been assessed in light of Article 34 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU). Given Ireland’s economically disadvantageous position within the EU biomethane market, due to an inherently higher cost of production, the Scheme once introduced will not provide sufficient incentive to domestic AD developers or agricultural feedstock producers to make the necessary investments to deliver the national target of 5.7TWh biomethane production. Use of the notified draft regulation will equalise the value of Irish biomethane and afford it viability within a scheme featuring openness to competitive imports. The additional value applied does not place domestically produced biomethane at an advantage over the product of other Member States and is therefore also considered proportionate and not in excess of what is necessary to achieve the national objective.
On the basis of Article 36 TFEU, the provision of Article 34 shall not preclude prohibitions or restrictions on imports, exports or transit, which have been justified on grounds of the protection of health and the life of humans, animals or plants. Use of the notified draft regulation is considered appropriate and necessary for achieving the legitimate aim of reducing Irelands agricultural emissions through the production of feedstocks resulting in the protection of the environment, improving the resilience of the agricultural sector and increasing Irelands energy security through the production of domestic renewable fuels, resulting in the protection of the life of humans.
10. References of the Basic Texts: No Basic Text exists
11. No
12.
13. No
14. No
15. Yes
16.
TBT aspects: No
SPS aspects: No
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European Commission
Contact point Directive (EU) 2015/1535
email: grow-dir2015-1535-central@ec.europa.eu
