Codema's Senior Engineer in District Heating speaks at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy
On the 23rd of September in Leinster House, Codema’s Senior Engineer in District Heating spoke at the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Climate, Environment and Energy as part of the pre-legislative scrutiny of the General Scheme of the Heat (Networks and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill 2026.
The goal of the Bill is to “establish the State’s first comprehensive regulatory and legislative framework for district and communal heating networks”.
Witnesses from the Department of Climate, Energy and Environment (DCEE), the Irish District Energy Association and Codema were invited to make opening statements during the session. Codema’s role during the session was to support IrDEA (Irish District Energy Association) and give insights into Codema’s work in developing publicly led district heating schemes.
Additionally, witnesses from the Irish District Energy Association (IrDEA) — Pauline O’Reilly (IrDEA), David Connolly (Heatgrid) and Neil O’Leary (Codema) — highlighted the opportunity to make greater use of currently untapped waste heat, while also improving energy security, reducing reliance on imported fuels and supporting more stable and predictable energy prices.
Key insights
The Committee heard broad support for the Heat Bill as an important framework to help scale district heating in Ireland. It would introduce CRU licensing and consumer protections, establish a Heat Network Authority, and provide a clearer structure for the long-term development of strategic heat networks.
A major insight was the strong emerging pipeline of projects. The Department confirmed that €5 million in pre-construction funding attracted 40 expressions of interest, with 15 projects shortlisted to progress towards investment readiness. A separate capital funding scheme for district-heating infrastructure is expected to be announced in early 2027, providing a pathway from project development into construction. Public-sector buildings were also identified as important anchor customers.
Overall, the meeting highlighted a clear route to delivery: strong regulation, targeted capital funding, coordinated public/private delivery and a growing pipeline of investment-ready projects.
