Department opens public consultation on Support Scheme for Renewable Heat (SSRH)

The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications has launched a public consultation today (Wednesday, 14 May), in relation to overcoming a potential restriction on expanding the Support Scheme for Renewable Heat's (SSRH) operational aid for biomass and anaerobic digestion (that is, biogas) to larger energy users, including those in the EU Emissions Trading Sector (EU ETS).

On 1 January 2024, new EU guidelines were introduced governing how SSRH operational aid can be allocated, with the new Climate, Environmental and Energy Guidelines (CEEAG) replacing the Energy and Environmental Guidelines (EEAG).

The key challenge relates to CEEAG requiring renewable energy operational aid to be set via a competitive process and offered via Contracts for Difference (CfD) where possible. This process is not required for renewable energy projects under 1MW (or 6MW for SMEs). The current SSRH can offer support over this threshold and the planned expansion to the EU ETS sector in Ireland implies large scale projects well above 1MW. While competitive auctions and CfDs are now common in the renewable electricity market, there are few instances of operational aid for heat projects using CfDs. This issue has been identified as a potential barrier to the further uptake of SSRH operational support.

The department is liaising with the European Commission in an effort to seek an exemption to the CEEAG restriction, with the next step in those efforts requiring a public consultation on the tariff supports.

The consultation asks a number of questions related to the proposed expansion of supports and provides an opportunity for those using biomass or anaerobic digestion (AD) for heat purposes, and to other stakeholders and interested parties, to express their views regarding the expansion of the SSRH operational support in the manner outlined, and in relation to the tariff supports in general.

The full text of the CEEAG can be found on the EUR-Lex website.

The public consultation, which has opened today, can be found on the department's website.

Submissions can be made until 5.30pm on 11 June 2025.

Submissions can be made by email to: SSRHConsultation@decc.gov.ie or by post to: SSRH Consultation Review, Renewable Heat Unit, Department of Environment, Climate and Communications, Tom Johnston House, Haddington Road, Dublin, D04 K7X4.