Electricity generated from landfill gas will be provided with a higher level of financial assistance, the Northern Ireland Energy Minister has said.
Arlene Foster's announcement follows approval from the European Commission to the enhanced support under its State Aid rules.
Welcoming the Commission's support, Minister Foster said: "This is good news for Northern Ireland.
"It will help to fully achieve our potential to generate electricity from landfill gas, providing us with an alternative and reliable source of electricity.
"Landfill gas generation in Northern Ireland is currently less advanced and more costly than in Great Britain, so it is important that we put in place a level of support that will allow us realise its benefits as a renewable energy source," she said.
Support for renewables development in Northern Ireland is provided through Renewables Obligation Certificates (ROCs) issued under the Northern Ireland Renewables Obligation (NIRO).
These ROCs currently trade at around £50 and are awarded to generators for each unit of output according to type of generation or renewable source used.
The NIRO operates alongside two similar Obligations in Great Britain, one for Scotland and one for England and Wales. Generally there is a high degree of consistency between the three Obligations and the ROCs from all three trade on a UK-wide basis.
When different levels of support were introduced in April this year, GB decided to reduce the support for landfill gas generation to one-quarter (0.25) of a ROC for each megawatt-hour of output and, pending the Commission's State Aid clearance, that 0.25 level has also been applied to Northern Ireland.
Meanwhile, consumers across NI are to get price cuts in both their electricity and gas bills.
See: NI Power Costs Falling
(PR/BMcC)
Time and date
CONSTRUCTION DIRECTORY
Latest Construction News
20/11/2024
MDE has been awarded the electrical services contract for the Clondalkin School Development Project in Dublin. Working alongside Cunningham Contracts Ltd., the company will serve as the specialist electrical contractor for the construction of new facilities for Gaelscoil na Camóige, Gaelscoil ...
20/11/2024
In celebration of European Week for Waste Reduction, the Northern Ireland Resources Network (NIRN) has launched an environmental education programme to promote zero-waste principles among young people. Three schools from the ABC Borough—St Francis Primary School in Lurgan, St Patrick's Primary ...
20/11/2024
Work has begun at hospital sites across Northern Ireland as part of preparations to eliminate car parking charges by May 2026. Health and Social Care Trusts are installing the necessary infrastructure for a new traffic management system, following the passing of the Hospital Parking Charges Act by ...
20/11/2024
Fine Gael has accused Sinn Féin of abandoning its commitment to protect consumers from rising energy costs, claiming that the party's policies could lead to increased costs for 2.1 million customers. The criticism comes after Sinn Féin's alternative budget last month proposed retaining the ...
20/11/2024
SDLP Agriculture, Environment, and Rural Affairs Spokesperson Patsy McGlone has urged Minister Andrew Muir to take decisive action to protect the environment, rather than launching additional reviews. The comments came after Minister Muir announced a review into environmental governance during an ...
20/11/2024
Alliance Strangford MLAs Kellie Armstrong and Nick Mathison, along with Alliance East Antrim MLA Danny Donnelly, recently visited the tidal research experiment at Queen's University Marine Laboratory (QML) in Strangford. The project, funded by the Centre for Advanced Sustainable Energy (CASE), is ...
19/11/2024
Phoenix Energy has been awarded an international standards accreditation from the British Standards Institution (BSI) in recognition of its inclusive service approach for customers in vulnerable situations. The certification highlights Phoenix Energy's commitment to providing fair, flexible, and ...
19/11/2024
Seating Matters is investing £3.7 million to enhance and improve its manufacturing facilities in Limavady and L'Derry. The company is aiming to support its bold strategy to triple revenue by 2027. Making the announcement while visiting the company's Limavady site Economy Minister Conor Murphy ...
19/11/2024
SDLP Infrastructure Spokesperson Mark H Durkan has urged the Minister and the Executive to take immediate action to address problems within Northern Ireland Water. Mr Durkan warned that the current state of the wastewater system is creating significant delays for infrastructure projects across ...
19/11/2024
Galway City Council will hold a public information evening on affordable housing on Monday, November 25, 2024, from 4pm to 8pm at the Connacht Hotel, Old Dublin Road, Galway. The event will provide an opportunity for the public to learn about how affordable housing operates. Council staff will be ...