A Greener Deal for Rural Ireland

LGI calls on Government to commit to strong regional approach to deliver on Climate Action Plan

Over half a million rural homeowners and businesses could pay a high price for Ireland’s one-size-fits-all approach to climate policy, according to Liquid Gas Ireland (LGI), the new representative body for Liquefied Petroleum Gas suppliers in Ireland. LGI recently launched Vision 2040, setting out how our industry will contribute to the Green New Deal. This is a roadmap set out by the EU to decarbonise the European energy sector and help Ireland to significantly reduce emissions from heating and transport sectors. 

Over 500,000 Irish properties have no connection to the natural gas distribution network; two-thirds currently rely on oil boilers for heating and fuel. LGI says that connecting remote, less energy-efficient properties to the natural gas grid or installing new heat pump technology will prove prohibitively expensive. Our representative body also estimates that if 500,000 homes switched from using oil-fired central heating to BioLPG by 2040, it would save about 1.9 million tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.

In its new 2040 vision, “A Greener Deal for Rural Ireland”, LGI argues that the Government must legislate for a mixed technology approach to decarbonisation, which includes lower-carbon fuels such as LPG and BioLPG. This would lead to a fairer, just transition for rural Ireland while significantly reducing CO2 emissions.

LPG is a clean-burning, smoke-free fuel that cuts emissions from domestic, commercial, industrial, and transport sectors by up to 33% compared to heating oil and other solid fuels. BioLPG is a chemically indistinct but renewable version of LPG, made from sustainably sourced renewable vegetable oils, wastes, and residues, and delivers up to 90% certified carbon emission savings compared to conventional LPG.  BioLPG is our solution for today and for the future.

The challenge of reducing our emissions is the greatest one facing our society over the next decade.  There are no quick fixes.  We will need a combined effort from wind energy, solar energy and other renewable electricity. But electricity only makes up a portion of our energy needs.  People value the convenience of gas for heating and cooking.  BioLPG allows us to meet the needs of the Irish consumer and enables them to reduce their carbon footprint.   

BioLPG can be used in existing LPG infrastructure. For customers in rural off-grid homes and businesses, this switch is easy and affordable to make, and the environmental benefits are immediate.

In its 2040 vision, LGI says that the Government must commit to a strong regional approach to delivering on air quality targets, including better use of widely available lower-carbon energy sources. Our move to a more sustainable energy system must be a fair process for everyone.  Calor and other members of Liquid Gas Ireland will work with the Government and other stakeholders to ensure that that is the case.