The Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has published a revised draft of Ireland’s second National Allocation Plan for Emissions Trading in Ireland.

This follows the conditional approvals given by the EU Commission in November 2006 and July 2007 to the previous draft and the subsequent revised directions from Government.

The plan sets out the EPA’s proposals for distributing these allowances to the various industrial sectors and participants involved. A consultation process on the revised draft plan commences.

The purpose of the second public consultation is to facilitate the public in expressing their views on the revised draft second National Allocation Plan.

Commenting, Dr Mary Kelly said: "In revising the Draft Plan, full recognition has been given to the increasingly important role of renewables in electricity generation as envisaged under the National Climate Change Strategy 2007-2012 and as set out in the White Paper, Delivering a Sustainable Energy Future for Ireland.

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"In addition, the EPA is proposing to increase the dedicated set-aside of emissions allowances designed to promote Combined Heat and Power (CHP) facilities in the power generation sector from 450,000 to 750,000 allowances. CHP is a highly-efficient technology for energy production and one in which Ireland lags behind many of our EU partners."

Emissions Trading is a cap and trade scheme where participating installations are given a fixed allocation each year and must either abate CO2 emissions to that level or purchase allowances to meet any exceedance. It is designed to bring about reductions in emissions at least cost.

Over 100 major industrial and institutional sites in Ireland are covered by the plan. These include power generation, other combustion, cement, lime, glass and ceramic plants and oil refining. Also included are large companies in areas such as food and drink, pharmaceuticals and semi-conductors.

Under the revised plan the total quantity of allowances to be allocated in the period 2008-2012 represents 87 per cent of forecasted emissions in that period with the burden falling mostly on the power generation and cement sectors.

New entrants to the scheme in the five-year period are catered for through a specific set aside of allowances.

(JM)