Bord Na Móna Bog Rehabilitation Scheme

On 24 November 2020, the cabinet approved funding of €108 million for Bord Na Móna’s large-scale peatlands restoration project. The Scheme will protect the storage of 100 million tonnes of CO2 emissions, enhance biodiversity, create 310 jobs and will contribute to Ireland’s target of being carbon-neutral by 2050. Through the implementation of the scheme, it is also estimated that over the period to 2050, 3.2 million tonnes of CO2 emissions will be avoided (including an amount of future carbon sequestration), in comparison to a standard rehabilitation scenario.

Bord na Móna has been granted IPC (Integrated Pollution Control) licences from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its peat production activities in Ireland. As part of their licence obligations, Bord na Móna must prepare and implement a plan, following consultation with relevant stakeholders, as defined by Condition 10 of their EPA licence. Funding provided under this Scheme will not cover costs for Bord Na Móna to meet their IPC licence obligations.

A significant proportion of the Bord Na Móna estate and its internal resources will be available for rehabilitation and decommissioning by 2021. This Scheme will go significantly beyond what Bord Na Móna is required to carry out under their existing licence conditions. The proposed improvements will bring about environmental stabilisation (ensuring EPA obligations are met), as well as significant other benefits, including, but not limited to, climate action. The carbon emission mitigation benefits associated with the post-peat extraction rehabilitated peatland following re-wetting, revegetation and colonisation of significant areas with raised bog, wetland and woodland habitats will make a significant contribution to achieving the State’s carbon emission reduction targets.

The Scheme will be administered by the Department of the Environment, Climate and Communications (DECC) and regulated by the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage. It will involve many other diverse stakeholders including Bord na Móna, the EPA, relevant NGOs, local authorities, representative organisations and importantly, the local community.

The framework for the Scheme has been developed by DECC in collaboration with the NPWS, the EPA and Bord Na Móna. The Scheme will exclusively fund improvements that go above and beyond the steps required to fulfil Bord Na Móna’s IPC licence obligations.

The Scheme will deliver a range of climate action benefits from greenhouse gas mitigation through reduced carbon emissions, carbon storage and accelerated carbon sequestration. The Scheme is expected to be completed by the end of 2025. The Scheme will protect the storage of 100 million tonnes of CO2 emissions, enhance biodiversity, create 310 jobs and will contribute to Ireland’s target of being carbon-neutral by 2050. Through the implementation of the scheme, it is also estimated that over the period to 2050, 3.2 million tonnes of CO2 emissions will be avoided (including an amount of future carbon sequestration), in comparison to a standard rehabilitation scenario.

The enhanced improvements will also enrich the State’s natural capital, increase eco-system services, strengthen biodiversity, improve water quality and storage attenuation, develop the amenity potential of the peatlands as well as providing employment opportunities as part of a Just Transition in the Midlands. It is expected that these improvements, accompanied with an enhanced monitoring program will increase the understanding of the role peatlands play in climate regulation and the development of best practice guidelines for future projects.

The improvements are designed to incorporate and subsequently enhance works required to fulfill Bord Na Móna’s IPC licence obligations. The proposed funding will support activities and improvements, including:

• more intensive management of water levels through drain-blocking and bunding
• wetlands management
• re-profiling that will deliver suitable hydrological conditions for development of wetlands, fens and bog habitats
• seeding of targeted vegetation
• proactive introduction of suitable peatland areas with Sphagnum moss to optimise climate action and associated benefits

The scheme will cover an area of approximately 33,000 hectares of Bord Na Móna peatlands previously harvested for peat extraction for electricity generation.

The NPWS has been appointed regulator for the Scheme, and will assess, on a bog-by-bog basis, the proposed enhanced rehabilitation improvements for climate, environmental, ecological and hydrological impacts. As Regulator for the Scheme, the NPWS will:

• ensure that all proposed improvements optimise climate, environmental, ecological and hydrological benefits
• assess and advise DECC regarding the allowed costs for enhanced rehabilitation improvements that may be recouped by Bord na Móna under the scheme
• ensure that all enhanced rehabilitation improvements carried out under the scheme are in line with the objectives of the scheme, and that costs have been appropriately incurred by Bord Na Móna
• ensure that there is no overlap between enhanced rehabilitation improvements and any obligations that Bord na Móna may have under the terms of its IPC licences

Under the Scheme Bord Na Móna will submit a rehabilitation plan to the NPWS for each bog to be rehabilitated. During the preparation of the individual Rehabilitation plans for each of the identified 82 bogs covered by the Scheme, Bord na Móna will actively engage with a broad range of stakeholders. Bord na Móna is planning on using a range of different communication tools and media for stakeholder engagement including direct mail shots, face to face meetings (subject to any COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in place), public advertisements, and a dedicated webpage with contact details of the liaison officer for each of the 82 individual bogs.

The individual bogs in scope for the Scheme are listed in the table below: