SPEAKING
NOTES
FOR
MR.
TONY
KILLEEN,
MINISTER OF STATE AT THE DEPARTMENT OF
AGRICULTURE, FISHERIES AND FOOD AT THE
LAUNCH OF BIOENERGY 08 (PART OF FARM FEST)
IN ATHENRY, CO. GALWAY ON FRIDAY 20TH JUNE
2008 AT 11am
Bioenergy event
 The concept of Bioenergy 08 is to take you from
‘know how to show how’ combining a comprehensive
technology and product exhibition with workshop
sessions and practical field demonstrations on
themes including:
o Energy from the forests
o Bioenergy opportunities for the agri-sector
o Wood fuel production and quality
o Large and medium scale pellet/chip use –
demonstration on wood chip and pellet boilers
 Bioenergy 07, held in Carlow, was very successful
and well attended. This year’s event is building on
that success. The areas covered are very relevant
today to the consumer with the cost of energy and
environmental considerations.
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
The development of bioenergy offers benefits for
forest owners and managers, project developers,
consumers, local communities and the environment.
Organisers
 COFORD (National Council for Forest Research and
Development), Sustainable Energy Ireland (SEI) and
Teagasc
are
to
be
congratulated
on
their
organization of such a major showcase event
 The event is being held this year in conjunction with
Teagasc’s bi-annual event ‘Farmfest’, which focuses
on the many enterprises and issues surrounding
farming and rural living. Both events should thereby
benefit from a wider audience.
Main function of event
 The main function of the Bioenergy 08 event is to
raise awareness across all sectors on the many uses
and benefits of growing, harvesting and using wood
fuels and energy crop products to generate heat,
electricity and fuel for our homes and businesses.
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 Easily accessible information on bioenergy, and its
uses
and
benefits,
fosters
awareness
about
bioenergy and is particularly welcome given the
policy decisions relating to energy at both EU and
national level.
EU Policy
 The EU agreed last year that, EU-wide, renewables
would account for 20% of overall energy mix by 2020
– a threefold increase on existing levels. This is
particularly
relevant
for
Ireland
as
we
are
disproportionately dependent on imported energy at
close to 90% compared to the EU average of 50%.
For these reasons, we urgently need to develop
alternative renewable sources of energy.
Government Policy
 Recognising the importance of this bioenergy sectors
the Government established a Ministerial Taskforce
on Bioenergy in 2006. The Taskforce produced a
comprehensive
National
Bioenergy Action
Plan
detailing over 50 Actions to increase the share of
renewable
energy
derived
Bioenergy Sectors.
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from
the
Biomass/
The Action plan complements the recent EU package
of Energy – Climate change measures which require
Ireland to obtain 16 per cent of our energy from
renewable sources and to ensure that biofuels make
up 10 per cent of transport fuel by 2020.
Oil prices
 With oil and other fossil fuels at record price levels,
the need for alternative home produced, secure,
sources of energy is becoming more important all the
time.
Climate change
 Climate change is also another challenge facing us
all.
 It is now, scientifically, well established that global
warming and climate change are issues that we must
tackle to ensure the well being of our planet for future
generations. Reductions in carbon emissions are a
must and we can all play out part in achieving this.
Good News
 The good news is that there are many potential
alternative and climate friendly renewable sources of
energy that we can exploit.
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The key words here are ‘renewable’ and ‘climatefriendly’. Bio energy, which is a clean, renewable,
source of energy, is one way of responding to this
challenge.
 These
potential
sources
of
bioenergy
include
conventional agricultural crops such as oil seed rape,
willow, miscanthus and wood by-products. There is
also the potential to recover a range of agriculture
and food wastes for conversion to energy.
And as new second-generation technologies are
developed, we will be able to expand the feedstock
base further to convert biomass, such as straw, into
liquid biofuels.
 This Bioenergy event is focussing on solid biomass
fuels such as wood, willow and miscanthus.
 Wood in its many forms, miscanthus and other
agriculture crops have the potential to significantly
contribute to Ireland reducing its dependence on
imported fossil fuels.
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 The role of forestry in our National Climate Change
Strategy, through its absorption of carbon, is also
important. The ability of farmers to produce carbon
neutral, renewable energy, particularly through the
sale of thinnings given the oil price level, will reflect
growing profitability and self-reliance.
 I believe Ireland’s agriculture and forestry sectors can
make a major contribution to reaching the various
targets.
Agriculture
can
supply
many
primary
feedstocks for bioenergy including energy crops.
Forestry
 In relation to the potential of forestry, I would like to
point out that the current forestry programme creates
the opportunity for a major transformation in Irish
farming, which can underpin the long-term economic
viability of many holdings.
 For the wider community forestry also creates
employment, often in remote rural areas where
opportunities are limited.
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 The exploitation of the energy potential of biomass
will create another important market for farm produce
and it can make marginal profit making management
activities such as first thinning more financially
beneficial to the forest owner.
Long term benefits of forestry for landowner
 All in all forestry is an enterprise that all landowners
should look at closely.
 Forests can make an ideal pension investment with
substantial tax-free benefits.
 There is no reason why more farmers cannot
integrate some forestry with their other farming
enterprises.
This
would
boost
their
income
immediately and deliver benefits that will accrue in
the long term both to themselves and the wider
community.
 A 100 % planting grant and a 20-year premium of up
to €574 euro per hectare per annum in some cases,
deserves serious consideration by farmers.
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 In 2007, a total of just over €71 million was paid in
forestry premium to plantation owners nationwide,
most of whom are farmers.
 In addition to the regular income over the initial
years, there is also the end value of the timber crop.
Bioenergy Scheme
 The Department is also promoting the production of
energy crops as an alternative land use option. We
believe this area can provide a new source of income
for farmers and other landowners.
 In 2007, the Department launched a new Bioenergy
Scheme offering establishment grants to farmers of
up to €1,450 per hectare to plant willow and
miscanthus. Some 800 hectares were grant aided in
2007 and a further 1,200 hectares have been granted
pre-planting approval in 2008.
 Farmers can also avail of an EU premium worth €45
per hectare under the EU Energy Crops Scheme to
grow energy crops.
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 As a further incentive, the Department introduced a
new National Energy Crop Premium in 2007 worth
€80 per hectare. Areas sown with energy crops also
qualify for the Single Farm payment.
Wood energy & forestry
 The use of wood fuel for energy generation is a new
and growing sustainable industry, with potential for
considerable expansion within the farming sector.

In addition to offering benefits for forest owners, it
also benefits consumers, local communities and the
environment. Biomass has the potential to redirect
hundreds of millions of euro to the Irish economy,
create new jobs in fuel supply and meet up to 10% of
our energy needs by 2020.
 In order to increase the supply of wood biomass from
Ireland’s forest estate, my Department introduced the
‘Wood-Biomass Harvesting Machinery Grant
Scheme’ in 2007.
The idea was to ‘kick-start’ the process by providing
grant-aid for the purchase of large and medium scale
chipper units, which are essential components of the
Irish supply chain.
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 Some €0.5m in grant-aid was approved under phase
1 of the scheme, supporting the purchase of 4 large
chipper units, along with one of the smaller mobile
chipper units.
I am delighted to announce that I have just approved
grant-aid for a further two mobile units and I would
like congratulate the successful applicants, Michael
Quirke of Caherciveen, Co. Kerry and Sean T.
O’Malley of Ballina, Co. Mayo and wish them well in
their new ventures.
 Wood chip, wood pellet, miscanthus and willow can
all provide fuel for use in domestic and commercial
biomass boilers. Many homes, hospitals and office
buildings in Ireland are now moving towards biomass
boilers following the introduction of generous grants
under the Greener Homes and Bio heat Schemes.
 The response to these schemes has been very
positive reflecting the strong public interest in
renewable energy. These initiatives will stimulate
demand for biomass feed stocks such as wood chip
and wood pellet and for renewable technologies.
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Producer Groups
 Another initiative currently underway is a number of
pilot ‘Forestry Producer Group’ type projects, funded
by my Department, such as the ‘Clare Wood Energy
Project’ in Clare, the ‘Forest Link’ project in Donegal
and the ‘Cork and Galway Producer Group Project’.
 These projects are aimed at providing a number of
benefits including the better marketing of wood
produced by farmer/foresters and also giving a kickstart to the creation, in a coordinated way, of a wood
fuel supply network.
Research and Development
 Bioenergy is a rapidly developing area and I
recognise the need to focus on research and
development.
The Department has provided over €6 million in
funding for projects that relate directly to biofuels and
energy crops through the Department’s Research
Stimulus Fund Programme. The research covers a
broad range of agri-energy topics including energy
crop production.
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 COFORD, one of the organisers of today’s event,
funds
and
co-ordinates
forestry
research
and
development and is doing significant work in
development
of
the
wood
energy
sector,
in
conjunction with other bodies including Sustainable
Energy Ireland and Teagasc.
 Bioenergy also offers wider environmental benefits
including alternative means to dispose of farm waste
products. The Department is supporting efforts to
convert waste to energy that would deliver financial
benefits for the industries involved, reduce disposal
costs
and
represent
a
significant
bioenergy
contribution from agriculture.
In this regard, the Department has provided some €4
million to support the development of on farm
demonstration units such as Anaerobic Digestion.
Concluding remarks
 The Bioenergy 2008 exhibition provides visitors
access to the latest product innovation from suppliers
within the national bioenergy sector.
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 Ample outdoor space together with the indoor
exhibition will showcase and demonstrate machinery
and equipment such as domestic pellet stoves and
boilers,
commercial
wood
pellet/chip
boilers,
chippers, residue bundlers to name but a few.
 The many exhibition stands will answer your
questions
about
boilers,
stoves,
wood
chips,
briquettes, pellets, sawdust, recycled crushed wood
and logs.
 BioEnergy 2008 gives us the opportunity to see at
first hand and appreciate the alternatives available.
This is a learning process and, once again, I want to
congratulate the organisers for bringing all of this
together.
 I am sure that you will all find it more informative and
useful and that you will go away with a better
understanding of what bioenergy means and how it
can benefit us all.
 Thank you for your attention.
ENDS.
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