The Energy Group within the Department for the Economy(DfE), Northern Ireland has issued a Call for Evidence on Using Biofuels to Transition away from Fossil Fuels for Heating. The DfE have provided the following information :

We are pleased to announce the launch of a Call for Evidence (CfE) on using biofuels such as Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO) and BioLPG (Liquid Petroleum Gas) to explore their strategic role in helping Northern Ireland transition away from fossil fuels for heating.

Alongside our recently published consultation on support for low carbon heating, this is a further step in progressing heat decarbonisation policy development as part of the Energy Strategy. The CfE seeks to gather insights and views to shape policies on how biofuels could play a role in decarbonising heating, particularly where low-carbon technologies like heat pumps or heat networks are not currently feasible.

Purpose of the Call for Evidence

The CfE explores the potential of biofuels across five key areas:

• Economic Considerations
• Fuel Poverty and Affordability
• Consumer Protections and Engagement
• Reliability and Security of Supply
• Health, Environmental and Local Community Impacts

It aims to identify challenges, opportunities, risks, and costs, offering a clearer picture of where biofuels could complement other heating solutions and where further innovation is required.

Stakeholder Engagement

This CfE builds on extensive pre-engagement with key stakeholders, which helped shape the themes and content, from September 2023 to June 2024, including:

• Oil and LPG heating fuel distributors and suppliers
• Liquid fuel boiler manufacturers
• Market analysts
• Northern Ireland public sector bodies such as the Consumer Council and Utility Regulator
• Cross-departmental engagement with DfI, DAERA, and DfC

Your Role

We encourage you to:

1. Review and respond to the Call for Evidence to share your insights.
2. Help raise awareness by forwarding this email and sharing the official social media announcements within your networks.

The feedback gathered through this CfE will play a vital role in guiding future policies and decisions regarding biofuels, ensuring we can meet the decarbonisation targets set out in the Climate Change Act (Northern Ireland), 2022 and achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

Online Engagement Opportunity

We will host a virtual engagement session to discuss the CfE in detail. These sessions provide an opportunity to engage directly with the officials responsible for this key policy development.

• For session dates and registration details, click here: USING BIOFUELS TO TRANSITION AWAY FROM FOSSIL FUELS FOR HEATING - NI Direct - Citizen Space

Closing Remark

Our sincere thanks to everyone who has contributed to the development of this Call for Evidence. We look forward to receiving your input and working together to shape a sustainable heating future for Northern Ireland.

Please feel free to email us for further clarification on anything you are unsure about: [email protected].