During the Minister’s visit, Mark Doyle, Managing Director of Firebird, gave a presentation on HVO and why biofuels need to be part of the solution for home heating for the thousands of homes in Ireland, where retrofitting is problematic.
The visit to Firebird’s factory comes at a critical time, as Ireland faces the challenge of potentially missing its EU Effort Sharing Regulation target of 42% emissions reduction by 2030. Businesses, such as Firebird, want to play their part in reaching emission targets.
“The Government’s recognition of biofuels is a crucial step toward closing this emissions gap,” Mark offered, explaining its potential to “protect thousands of jobs in the heating industry and ensure that Ireland meets its climate commitments”.
With Government recognition of biofuels, over 700k homeowners with existing oil fired boiler homes, would have access to financially viable technology choices that meet their unique needs and allow them to support Ireland to achieve its climate action targets.
Leading the charge in innovation, Firebird has trialled and tested HVO in Ireland and the UK to prove that it can be implemented almost immediately. The conversion requires no modification to existing home heating systems at the 20% blend proposed.
“The Government’s commitment to retrofitting Irish homes and installing renewable energy solutions has always been crucial in supporting our national emissions targets for 2030,” Mark continued. “However, many homeowners have struggled with the high costs associated with these retrofits.
“Minister Chambers’ visit, and his keen interest in meeting with the industry first hand to learn more about the opportunities for Ireland around HVO, marks a turning point for our industry. Hopefully we are within sight of the Government’s formal recognition of biofuels including HVO, and with that we will have a clear path for widespread consumer adoption.”
Accessible and affordable
“Recognition of biofuels would not only secure the jobs of our dedicated team at Firebird but would also protect thousands of jobs across the heating industry. It’s a crucial step toward making sustainable home heating solutions more accessible and affordable for Irish homeowners, while also supporting the Government’s climate action targets,” Mark concluded.
For years, Firebird has been working closely with oil distributors, service engineers, and home heating solution manufacturers to tackle this issue, to convince the Government to officially recognise biofuels for heating and to remove obstacles to its use.
This collective effort shows a strong commitment to helping homeowners meet Ireland’s ambitious emissions reduction targets and to advancing towards a more sustainable future.
Image provided by Firebird
