Biofuels for heating consultation

Views sought on the challenges and opportunities of using biofuels to transition away from fossil fuels for heating.

The Department for the Economy (DfE) has launched a call for evidence to understand the opportunities, challenges and potential risks associated with using biofuels for heating.

Over 62 per cent of homes in Northern Ireland are reliant on heating oil, and many businesses using liquid fossil fuels as a primary means of heat, which makes the need for viable, sustainable alternatives pressing. While technologies like heat pumps are vital for the long-term decarbonisation of heating, renewable liquid biofuels like hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) and biopropane (BioLPG) may offer an important transitionary option, where low-carbon technologies like heat pumps and heat networks are not currently suitable or practicable.

DfE is seeking evidence on:

• the role of HVO and BioLPG as replacements for home heating oil and fossil-based liquefied petroleum gas (LPG)
• barriers to the adoption of biofuels and measures to address them
• how biofuels can complement heat pumps and other green technologies
• identifying the economic, environmental, and social impacts of transitioning to biofuels for heating, as part of net-zero

DfE is particularly interested in how bio-fuels can complement other low-carbon heating solutions.

The evidence provided will inform policy development on the strategic decarbonisation of heat throughout the region.

Find out more about the consultation and how to respond.

Consultation workshop

DfE will host an online stakeholder engagement workshop event from 9.30am to 12.30pm on Tuesday 21 January 2025 - register your place now.

First published 16 December 2024