STIMULATING AND SUPPORTING NEW BUSINESS IN IRELAND

Wood Energy Conference identifies new business opportunities to tackle Energy Issues

By James Donlon, March 6, 2007

In a passionate presentation to the packed audience at the Renewable Energy Conference and Trade Fair held in Athlone last week, Duncan Stewart criticised the lack of political leadership for a move towards renewable energy. In his address, Duncan directed his comments to Government and opposition parties alike when he spoke of the failures in long term planning for the transition that is taking place globally, commenting that “without strong leadership and commitments from the government to promote renewables and dis-incentivise fossil fuels Ireland faces a very bleak future in terms of unreliable security of energy supply in the form of imported oil and gas and penalties by the international community for our failures in meeting our Kyoto targets”.

Duncan, a guest of the Mid-South Roscommon Leader company at the conference organised by WESTBIC, highlighted the government’s announcement to set aside 270 Million Euro to purchase carbon credits and pay fines imposed for Ireland’s dismal record in the fight against climate change, while over the same period only 10 Million Euro has been ear marked for development of the fledgling renewable energy industry. Meanwhile Ireland has lost its international reputation for being ‘green and clean’ and is now the biggest emitter of greenhouse gasses per capita in the EU and second only to the USA in the world rankings.

The aim of the conference was to inform people in the region of the possibilities that exist in the production of biomass energy and the benefits of adopting the use of renewable energy in homes and businesses. The main focus of the conference was opportunities for the growth of the biomass industry in rural areas like the midlands through cultivating dedicated energy crops such as Willow, Miscanthus, Reed Canary Grass and dedicated Forestry as well as the potential for new enterprise and employment opportunities that may be created in the transformation of crops into value-added fuel products. Duncan Stewart also urged individuals to play their part and take the control of our own future in particular with regard to satisfying our ‘heat’ energy needs through adopting biomass energy in the form of wood chip and pellets produced from locally grown sources.

The event was organised as part of the Mid-South Roscommon Leader Interreg IIIB ECAS project, which is funded through the EU and managed by WESTBIC. The event was also supported by Roscommon County Enterprise Board and the Western Development Commission. Other speakers at the conference addressed the specific issues associated with the biomass industry, from farming supports, to regional strategy development and individual crop presentations outlining the benefits and pitfalls of each. Also addressing the crowd were early adaptors of renewable technology including the RDS in Dublin and the Hillgrove Hotel and Leisure Centre in Monaghan, both of whom have installed substantial biomass systems in recent years. Both speakers warned of the pitfalls, and teething problems they encountered, as well as relating the substantial potential that exists through embracing renewable technology.

Further information about WESTBIC's involvement in the emerging wood-energy sector is available from Mike Ward, tel 090 66 25196 email: mward@westbic.ie

Pictured below with Duncan Stewart are members of the LEADER ECAS Biomass Energy Committee