The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation 

The Renewable Transport Fuel Obligation (RTFO) places an obligation on suppliers of mineral oil to ensure that 21% (by energy content) of the motor fuel (gasoline and motor diesel) they place on the market in Ireland is renewable, e.g. bioethanol or biodiesel.

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The RTFO was previously the Biofuel Obligation Scheme (BOS) and the 2023 obligation was set at 16.985% (by energy content).  SI 350 of 2022 (The Renewable Energy Regulations), which transposed the recast Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) into Irish law, changed the BOS to the RTFO.  The RTFO includes an additional obligation for ‘advanced biofuels’ and a cap on fuels produced from food and feed crops. For 2024, the advanced obligation is 1% (by energy content).

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Under the terms of the National Oil Reserves Agency Act 2007 (Returns and Biofuel Levy) Regulations 2010, a Biofuel Levy, currently 0.1 euro cent per litre, is payable on the sales of all renewable transport fuels in Ireland.

NORA administers compliance with the RTFO, and with the requirements of SI 160, which obligates fuel suppliers to reduce the carbon intensity of transport fuels by 6% by 2020.