Motor Fuels
Dail Éireann — 2026-02-17
============================================================

Kieran O'Donnell (FG), Limerick City

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter, which I am taking on behalf of the Minister for Transport, Deputy O’Brien. I will give the Deputy the response I have, but I will bring the particular point he raised back to the Minister. I suggest that the Deputy follow up himself and write to the Minister on the point in question.
Renewable fuel is a vital transitionary measure in transport decarbonisation, falling under the improve dimension of the avoid-shift-improve framework adopted under the Climate Action Plan 2024. As the shift to electrification and further increases in public transport and active travel are fully realised, sustainable renewable transport fuels provide immediate climate change mitigation utilising the existing vehicle fleet. The supply of renewable transport fuels such as HVO in the transport sector in Ireland is driven by the climate action plan biofuel blending targets for 10% ethanol in petrol and 20% biodiesel equivalent in diesel by 2030, as well as European targets for the total renewable energy share in transport consumption of 24% by 2030. These targets are implemented through the renewable transport fuel obligation, RTFO, which places a statutory obligation on suppliers of road transport fuels to ensure that a proportion of the fuels they place on the market in Ireland is produced from renewable sources. The National Oil Reserves Agency, NORA, is responsible for administration of the RTFO.
The Renewable Transport Fuel Policy 2025-2027 sets out a pathway to incentivise supply of renewable fuel in transport through annual increases in the RTFO rate to 2030, as well as ensuring that EU sustainability and greenhouse gas emissions reduction criteria are adhered to. The policy is supported by analysis and modelling by NORA and is revised every two years through extensive engagement with the agency and the industry, including fuel suppliers and biofuel producers. The RTFO is the most impactful way to achieve the policy goal of transport decarbonisation in the near term. In 2024, corresponding to an obligation rate of 21% by energy, the RTFO delivered a physical blend of approximately 10% biofuel in diesel supplied to road transport, of which approximately 7% was FAME biodiesel and 3% was HVO. It is expected that further increases in the RTFO rate projected to 2030 under the policy will see a physical blend in the region of 13% HVO in diesel supplied in the State. The 2026 RTFO rate is 32% by energy. This level of biofuel blending within diesel is well within the diesel specification EN590 for EU vehicle compatibility and air quality requirements. It is expected that achieving the CAP biofuel blending goal in 2030 will deliver emissions abatement of 1.08 MtCO2eq. In 2024, biofuel blending delivered an overall saving of approximately 7.1% in lifecycle greenhouse gas emissions from the road transport sector.
Of course, it is essential that biofuels imported into Ireland meet the strict sustainability criteria set out in the EU renewable energy directive for the purpose of environmental protection and emissions reduction. NORA is responsible for ensuring compliance by fuel suppliers with these sustainability criteria, which is assured through an EU sustainability certification framework involving certification of economic operations globally by certification bodies against standards established under EU-approved voluntary schemes. NORA provides ongoing assurance on the sustainability of the current supply of biofuel to Ireland under the RTFO.
Noting the projected future cross-sectoral demand for HVO, under the current renewable transport fuel policy, the Department of Transport has commissioned a study on the hierarchy of use of HVO across transport and other sectors. The study will inform the continued rationale for State intervention through blending targets and incentives to promote the most efficient use of HVO across transport modes and non-transport sectors relative to the alternative renewable energy options in each sector. The study is expected to be completed in quarter 2 of this year. I humbly suggest to the Deputy that this particular vehicle is currently being looked at by the Department. It is obviously an area that could include consideration of his proposal.

---

Source: Houses of the Oireachtas. Licensed under CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/). The Official Report is revised after first publication; the fetch timestamp below identifies the version quoted.

Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2026-02-17/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:38+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-02-17