Applications have opened for the second phase of the Support Scheme for Renewable Heat (SSRH) as the government looks to decarbonise heat.

The scheme will provide operational support for biomass boilers and anaerobic digestion heating systems. This round will support businesses and farms for up to 15 years for the installation and on-going use of biomass and anaerobic digestion heating systems.

Launching the new phase, Environment Minister Richard Bruton said: "If we are to cut greenhouse gases, we must replace fossil fuels by renewable sources. This scheme is designed to replace fossil fuel heating systems by heat pumps and by heat from biomass or anaerobic digestion. These are sustainable and renewable sources.

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"The scheme will include important protections to ensure that the heat supported is sustainable, used for useful purposes and represents value for money for the taxpayer. Over the lifetime of the scheme, the successful delivery of this programme can reduce carbon emissions by 11Mt – a significant contribution to meeting our emissions reduction targets."

The Scheme supports ground, air and water source electric heat pump installations with grant-aid up to 30% of the capital outlay. Under Project Ireland 2040, the National Development Plan sets out an allocation of €300 million for the rollout of the scheme for the period up to 2027.

Overall, the projects supported will increase the renewable heat use in Ireland by three percentage points and decrease emissions in the non-ETS sector by approximately 300,000 tonnes of CO2 per year.

The Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) will administer the scheme.

For more information visit SEAI’s website.

(CM/JG)