Debate contribution: Energy Efficiency Capital Grant Scheme: Update
Debate contribution by Dr Caoimhe Archibald on .
- MLA
- Dr Caoimhe Archibald
- Party at the time
- Sinn Féin
- Date
- 24 February 2025
- Type
- Debate contribution (made as a minister)
- Business
- Oral Answers to Questions
- Heading
- Energy Efficiency Capital Grant Scheme: Update
- Assembly identifier
- Official Report component 4813648
Read the official Assembly record
Text
Decarbonising the economy is one of my four departmental priorities. The energy efficiency capital grant helps businesses reduce their energy demand and build resilience through green efficiency. The grant is part of a wider suite of support delivered by Invest NI across the wider energy and resource efficiency programme. It is designed to be a five-year grant programme valued at £40 million. Grant support is offered to eligible businesses to buy and install renewable technologies and energy-efficient equipment aimed at reducing energy costs and carbon emissions. Since the energy efficiency capital grant opened in April 2024, it has received over 1,300 enquiries, indicating an exceptionally high level of interest. Enquiries are being addressed in chronological order and are at various stages of the process. The scheme is delivering on regional balance, with over 70% of enquiries to date coming from outside the Belfast metropolitan area.
My officials have been working closely with Invest NI since the scheme launch and have adopted a process of continued review through the initial pilot phase to ensure that scheme delivery aligns with policy objectives on energy efficiency. The scheme demonstrates that businesses across multiple sectors and across the North have an appetite to invest in becoming more sustainable. It is encouraging to see high interest from manufacturing sectors as well as from the retail and hospitality sectors, which are increasingly moving to become more sustainable. As a result, the programme is showing early success in delivering across departmental priorities, including decarbonisation, regional balance and supporting growth in investment in the green economy.
258 words. Text as published by the Northern Ireland Assembly.
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