Details of the new solid fuel standards have been revealed by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications.
The new standards for all domestic solids fuels will be introduced across the state within a year and, from that point on, the most polluting of fuels will no longer be available on the Irish market.
A consultation process took place earlier this year which sought views on how to regulate solid fuels that contribute to air pollution.
The department received more than 3,500 responses to a technical consultation, survey and questionnaire.
Having considered the submissions made by the public, health experts, advocacy groups, academia and industry, a framework for legislation has been developed and drafting of the regulations is underway, the department said.
The new solid fuel standards
From 2022, the following new standards for solid fuels will apply in Ireland:
- Coal, coal-based products, any manufactured solid fuel or peat briquettes will be required to have a smoke emission rate of less than 10g/hour, reducing to 5g/hour by 2025;
- It is not proposed to make any changes to the smoke emission rate for biomass products (that contain coal), as this is already set at 5g/hour;
- The sulphur content permitted for all fuels will be reduced from 2% to 1% over time;
- Wood sold in single units under 2m³ will be required to have a moisture content of 25% or less (moving to 20% within four years) and wet wood sold over these volumes will be required to come with instructions for the purchaser on how to dry this wood;
- In order to accommodate those with rights to harvest sod peat, no ban on its burning will be introduced. However, a regulatory regime to reduce its harm in more urbanised areas is under examination.
These regulations will be finalised in the coming months and will be in place for the 2022 heating season.
They are being announced now to allow those servicing the domestic solid fuel market to plan accordingly and to continue to invest in less polluting alternatives, the department noted.
International Day of Clean Air for blue skies
Today’s (Tuesday, September 7) announcement coincides with International Day of Clean Air for blue skies.
This event is held in a bid to raise awareness and facilitate actions to improve air quality.
According to the UN Environment Programme, air pollution is “the largest environmental risk to global public health”.
“Polluted air particularly impacts children, women and the elderly, with increased links to diseases such as dementia, diabetes, Covid-19, cardiovascular and neurological diseases.”
Each year, some 1,300 people die in Ireland due to air pollution from solid fuel burning.
“This demonstrates the extent to which the choices we make when heating our homes can impact on our own health and the communities in which we live,” the Department of the Environment added.
Moreover, a public consultation on the forthcoming Clean Air Strategy will open in the near future.