New Tralee firm says it has a solution to poor air quality in Kerry

The CEO of Bioheat Ireland Fintan O’Connell says renewable Bioethanol fuel can be produced in Kerry and could help solve air pollution problems and create hundreds of jobs.

Recent figures released by the by EPA showed that Tralee town recorded dangerously poor air quality levels on 14 days in 2022, with three of those days were classified as having “very poor” air quality.

On six nights in December and January extremely high levels of ‘fine particulate matter’ were detected by the local monitoring station in Moyderwell with spells of freezing weather linked to the drop in Tralee’s air quality as more and more people lit fires to keep warm.

Recently Bioheat Ireland signed an exclusive distribution deal with Polish company Planika to supply Automatic Bioethanol fires and stoves to the Irish market.

Mr O’Connell said burning Bioethanol fuel can provide people with a renewable, viable alternative to coal, turf and other fossil fuels to heat their homes

“Burning Bioethanol fuel is a clean green way to heat your home without smoke or fumes. It is renewable and low impact on the environment,” he said.

“We are currently selling bioethanol stoves and fires but are also investigating the possibility of producing bioethanol fuel right here in Kerry,” Mr O’Connell said.

“Coal is becoming less affordable due to carbon taxes. It has contributed to serious pollution levels in Kerry towns. We are confident that we can produce a clean green source of fuel here in Kerry over the longer term that can create many jobs and heat our homes”.

“Fuel produced here in Kerry would help us to be more self sufficient, lead to cheaper energy costs and not make us as dependent on global political shocks such as at the ongoing war in Ukraine,” said Mr O’Connell.