Kilkenny County Council
Solid Fuels Legislation 2022
The current Solid Fuels Regulations took effect from 31 October 2022 and apply equally across the State.
The primary focus of these regulations is on improving air quality and improving people’s health outcomes, by restricting the retail, online and commercial sale of smoky fuels, including smoky coal, turf and wet wood. These fuels are proven to be a major contributor to air pollution in Ireland. Kilkenny County Council carry out regular inspections of retailer, producers and transporters of solid fuels.
The thresholds which now apply are:
- Coal products and manufactured solid fuels must have a smoke emission rate of less than 10 grams per hour. This is the same as was previously in force in Low Smoke Zones.
- Manufactured part biomass products must have a smoke emission rate of less than 5 grams per hour.
- Coal products and manufactured solid fuels, including manufactured part biomass products, must have a sulphur content of less than 2% by weight on a dry ash-free basis, and subject to a market assessment, from 1 September 2025 this will be reduced to 1%.
- Fuel products which are 100% biomass products (including wood products and wood logs), supplied in units of two cubic metres or less, must have a moisture content of less than 25% (from 1 September 2025, this will be reduced to less than 20%).
- Wood logs supplied in units of two cubic metres or more must now be accompanied by a notice outlining the need to store and season wet wood until it is sufficiently dried.
- It is now not possible to sell turf via retail, online or other media, in public houses or other public places.
The Regulations also place certain obligations on producers, importers, and retailers of solid fuels.
The Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications has produced and regularly updates dedicated FAQs for the following sectors:
- Householders
- Producers and importers of firewood
- Producers and importers of other solid fuels
- Retailers
- Couriers & haulage companies
- Media companies
These may be found at www.gov.ie/cleanair - Watch the 'Let's Clear The Air' video
Kilkenny County Council would encourage all those using solid fuel to heat their homes to consider using certified smokeless products to improve air quality in the county for the benefit of human health. For more information watch this short video about thinking A B C.
The EPA's National Air Event, Open Air CAFE, took place on November 6 2024, in Kilkenny.
Speakers on the day included:
- Thomas Henrichs who is Deputy Head of Unit for the Clean Air & Urban Policy Unit within the Directorate General for Environment at the European Commission. This unit deals with, amongst other, the different aspects of EU Clean Air Policy, especially the Directives on Ambient Air Quality and on National Emission reduction Commitments.
- Irene Cadogan, Assistant Principal, Air Quality Unit, Department of Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC). Dr Cadogan has led the Air Quality Team since 2020. She has responsibility for all ambient air quality matters including the solid fuel regulations, the Clean Air Strategy, enforcement support, communications and national, European and international air quality briefs. Irene joined the Department in 2017 and was previously involved in a number of projects in the Waste and Resource Efficiency Division. Prior to joining the Department Irene worked in education and the private sector and was involved in policy evaluation and environmental research having completed her PhD in the area of energy efficiency policy for the residential sector.
- Mark Murphy is the Senior Policy Manager with the Irish Heart Foundation, the national stroke and heart charity. In this position, Mark identifies and develops policy areas that will increase the Heart Foundation’s voice and influence to better support those in the community living with heart conditions, and achieve policy change that will encourage people to live healthier lives. Having first joined the organisation in 2018, Mark has worked across a range of campaigns and policy areas, including air quality, active travel, tobacco & e-cigarettes, and junk food marketing. Before joining the Heart Foundation, Mark worked in public affairs in Brussels and Dublin.
- David “Dáithí” Kelleghan is an air quality scientist, and the air quality modelling and telemetry team lead in the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). The LIFE Emerald project completed in September 2024, has substantially improved Ireland’s national air quality modelling capabilities. The EPA will maintain the infrastructure developed within the LIFE Emerald project to ensure both compliance with European Directives and to engage the general public.
- Brian McIntyre, Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI). Brian McIntyre is Programme Manager for High Performance Building Technologies on the Deep Retrofit Pilot Programme with 19 years’ experience in the Energy sector. He joined SEAI in 2017 to develop a deep retrofit pilot programme and later joined the Warmer Homes Scheme to develop pilots within the scheme. He had previously worked in the private sector with a focus on the energy sector throughout his career including providing consultancy services to SEAI across the public sector, SME, RD&D and Delivery programmes since 2005
All presentations can be watched via the link below:
