A new page is being turned. Ireland’s famous peat, renowned as an efficient fuel for the island’s homes, is set to be replaced by renewable energies by 2024. Leading Irish companies such as Bord Na Mona have declared that the exploitation of Irish peatlands for the manufacture of heating briquettes will cease within 3 years. A decision welcomed by the country’s environmentalists.
Forget about the famous Irish peat fire where we liked to keep warm. This classic of Irish daily life is set to fall into disuse over the coming years… in favor of wood, or alternative energies.
It has to be said that the exploitation of peatlands, although deeply rooted in Irish customs, has always had significant consequences for the environment. The over-exploitation of these natural environments has led to severe soil impoverishment, and the frequency of harvesting has prevented the peat bogs from regenerating (as a reminder, these peat bogs took centuries to develop).
The semi-state company Bord Na Mona has decided to work on its energy transition as part of a strategy called “from brown to green”. This project has enabled the company to suspend all its peatland operations since June last year. A decision that has enabled the company to work on its rehabilitation, focusing on renewable energy production, recycling and the development of other low-carbon businesses.
As a result, Ireland’s peatlands should be left to rest for the next few years… And Irish households will have to find alternative heating methods. This is excellent news for these exceptional sites, often regarded as natural wonders. Every year, thousands of travellers come from all over the world to admire them in regions such as Connemara. Fascinating in their own right, they represent an entire ecosystem: the scientific world never ceases to marvel at this microcosm… and research projects, currently led by Trinity College Dublin, are underway.
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