A project promoter under the NZIA is any undertaking or consortium of undertakings developing a net-zero technology manufacturing project or a net-zero strategic project.
A project may usefully be discussed first with the enterprise agencies (such as, IDA Ireland or Enterprise Ireland) or the Single Point of Contact (SPC) at concept stage or regarding site location.
Assess if your project is in scope
There are two avenues to determine if your project is in scope under NZIA and you should engage with the SPC, in either case:
- If you manufacture a net-zero technology, final product, key component, or machinery needed for net-zero technology manufacturing, such as solar PV, wind, batteries, electrolysers, heat pumps, grids, biomass and biomethane, carbon capture, renewable fuels (for example, the range of technologies listed in the Annex to NZIA) or produce components for net-zero technologies and invest in decarbonisation in an energy-intensive industry (for example, steel, chemicals or cement).
- Apply through the EU portal for net-zero strategic project status of your net-zero technology manufacturing project (see net-zero strategic project status for more details).
Projects in scope
Once verified that your project is in scope, you can engage with the SPC to participate in pre-application meetings with all the relevant permit issuing bodies, have bilateral meetings and avail of advice on your application form for relevant permits to ensure they are complete.
The SPC, along with all the relevant permit issuing bodies, will draw up and publish a detailed schedule of all the permits and requirements that are needed to allow your project to start.
Once the application for the first permit is deemed complete by the SPC (for example, it has all the necessary information included in it), the time limits for your project will commence.
The SPC will coordinate and facilitate the submission of all relevant documents and information and will notify you of the outcome of the comprehensive decision at the end of the time limits of the project that authorises its implementation.