Brussels,

Alternative fuels

MOBILITY & TRANSPORT

Following the Paris Agreement, the EU has been actively working towards a low-carbon economy, focusing particularly on the transport sector. In March 2016, initial proposals were presented with a Communication (2016) 110  followed by a strategy for low-emission mobility in June 2016 with the Communication COM(2016) 501,

The goal is to achieve a carbon-neutral economy by 2050, as outlined in the "Clean Planet for All" Communication COM(2018) 773.. The Green Deal further emphasizes this objective, setting an ambitious target to reduce transport emissions by 90% by 2050 compared to 1990.

Transport, a major contributor to Europe's greenhouse gas emissions and urban air pollution, requires significant changes, including a shift to low- and zero-emission fuels and the development of new refueling and recharging infrastructures.​​ Emissions of air pollutants such as nitrogen dioxide, NOx and particulate matter, are the most significant causes of premature deaths in the EU, with estimates of more than 400,000 premature deaths each year, including 76,000 directly linked to nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

Alternative fuels infrastructures - The EU Regulation

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The EU adopted the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (EU) 2023/1804.

This Regulation will focus on ensuring:
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  1. sufficient infrastructure for alternative fuel vehicles
  2. full interoperability
  3. comprehensive user information with adequate payment options

The Reguation, adopted on 13 September 2023, focuses on the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure, repealing Directive 2014/94/EU.

Its main objectives include setting mandatory minimum targets for publicly accessible recharging and refueling infrastructures for road vehicles, ensuring interoperability and user-friendliness, and addressing specific requirements of electric recharging, hydrogen refueling, and LNG facilities for road vehicles, vessels, and stationary aircraft. 



Regulation deadlines (Refer to Regulation (EU) 2023/1804)

Deadline: 13/4/2024 - See Art 5.1
Operators of recharging points shall accept electronic payments at those points through terminals and devices used for payment services, including at least one of the following:
(a) payment card readers;
(b) devices with a contactless functionality that is at least able to read payment cards;
(c) for publicly accessible recharging points with a power output below 50 kW, devices using an internet connection and allowing for secure payment transactions such as those generating a specific Quick Response code.

Deadline: 30/06/2024, at the latest - See Art 15.3
By 30 June 2024, and every three years after, EU Member States must assess how electric vehicle (EV) recharging points can enhance the energy system's flexibility, including their role in the energy balancing market and in integrating renewable electricity. This assessment will consider all types of recharging points, their technology, and geographical distribution to optimize EV integration. It also includes aligning infrastructure planning with grid planning, involving stakeholders, and publicizing the findings. Results will guide additional deployments of recharging points and be reflected in national reports and network development plans.

Deadline: 14/10/2024 - See Art 5.7 and 16
All publicly accessible recharging points digitally-connected. Commission Guidance and Templates concerning the content, structure and format of the national policy measures.

Deadline: 31/12/2024 - See Art 8, 10, 11.1, 12.1, 14.1, 20.4, 24.1
Publicity on refuelling, port recharging units, electricity supply to stationary aircrafts, national policy framework to the Commission (EC), list of recharging and refuelling publicly accessible points to be communicated to the EC, EC report dedicated to heavy-duty vehicles.

Deadline: 31/03/2025 - See Art 18.1
Member States shall report to the Commission the total aggregated recharging power output and the number of publicly accessible recharging points deployed and the number of battery electric vehicles and plug-in hybrid vehicles registered on their territory on 31 December of the previous year.

Deadline: 14/04/2025 - See Art 5.1, 20.1 and 20.2
The operators of publicly accessible recharging points shall ensure that all direct current (DC) publicly accessible recharging points operated by them have a fixed recharging cable installed. Member States shall appoint an Identification Registration Organisation (‘IDRO’). The IDRO shall issue and manage unique identification (‘ID’) codes to identify at least operators of recharging points and mobility service providers. Operators or owners of publicly accessible recharging and refueling points for alternative fuels are required to provide both static and dynamic data about their infrastructure and associated services at no cost. This includes data on the infrastructure operated by them, as well as services they provide directly or through outsourcing.

Deadline: 31/12/2025 - See Art, 4 and 14.11
.  At least 15 % of the length of the TEN-T road network, publicly accessible recharging pools dedicated to heavy-duty electric vehicles are deployed in each direction of travel and that each recharging pool offers a power output of at least 1 400 kW and includes at least one recharging point with an individual power output of at least 350 kW;
in each urban node publicly accessible recharging points dedicated to heavy-duty electric vehicles with an aggregated power output of at least 900 kW are deployed, provided by recharging stations with an individual power output of at least 150 kW;
. Final national policy to be notified to the Commission

Deadline: 31/12/2026, Review - See Art 24.2
Review of the Regulation every 5 years.

Deadline: 31/12/2026 - See Art 17.1 and 20.5
EC to assess te national policy framework and MS concerned by recommendations to communicate within 6 months how it intends to implement the recommendations.
The Commission shall establish a common European access point to function as a data gateway facilitating the access to the data referred to in paragraph 2 from the different national access points. The Commission shall ensure that the common European access point is easily accessible and can be used by all data users, for example through the creation of a dedicated web portal

Deadline: 01/01/2027 - See Art 5.1
Publicly accessible recharging points with a power output equal to or more than 50 kW deployed along the TEN-T road network or deployed on a safe and secure parking area,must provide one of the following: (a) payment card readers;
(b) devices with a contactless functionality that is at least able to read payment cards;
(c) devices using an internet connection and allowing for secure payment transactions such as those generating a specific Quick Response code.
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Deadline: 31/12/2027 - See Art 4 and 15.1
Along at least 50 % of the length of the TEN-T road network, publicly accessible recharging pools dedicated to heavy-duty electric vehicles are deployed in each direction of travel and that each recharging pool:
(i) along the TEN-T core road network, offers a power output of at least 2 800 kW and includes at least two recharging points with an individual power output of at least 350 kW;
(ii) along the TEN-T comprehensive road network, offers a power output of at least 1 400 kW and includes at least one recharging point with an individual power output of at least 350 kW;

Deadline: 13/04/2029; See Art 22.1

Deadline: 31/12/2029 - See Art 9.1, 10 and 12.1
Deadline for TEN-T core maritime ports and TEN-T comprehensive maritime ports, focusing on the provision of shore-side electricity supply for different types of ships. The regulations are categorized as follows:

Container Ships Above 5,000 Gross Tonnes:
  • For ports with an annual average (over the last three years) of more than 100 port calls by container ships above 5,000 gross tonnes, there's a requirement to provide shore-side electricity for at least 90% of these port calls annually.
Ro-Ro Passenger Ships and High-Speed Passenger Craft Above 5,000 Gross Tonnes:
  • Ports with over 40 annual port calls (averaged over three years) by ro-ro passenger ships and high-speed passenger crafts above 5,000 gross tonnes must equip themselves to supply shore-side electricity to at least 90% of these calls each year.
Other Passenger Ships Above 5,000 Gross Tonnes:
  • For ports receiving more than 25 annual port calls (averaged over three years) by passenger ships above 5,000 gross tonnes (excluding ro-ro passenger ships and high-speed passenger crafts), there's an obligation to provide shore-side electricity to at least 90% of these calls annually.

At least one installation providing shore-side electricity supply to inland waterway vessels is deployed at all TEN-T comprehensive inland waterway ports.
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Member States shall ensure that, at all airports of the TEN-T core network and TEN-T comprehensive network, the provision of electricity supply to stationary aircraft is ensured to all aircraft remote stands used for commercial air transport operations to embark or disembark passengers or to load or unload goods.
1.   Member States may exempt airports of the TEN-T network with fewer than 10 000 commercial flight movements per year, averaged over the last three years, from the obligation to supply electricity to stationary aircraft at all aircraft remote stands.
2.   Paragraph 1 shall not apply to specially dedicated de-icing stands, stands inside designated military areas and stands specially dedicated to general aviation aircraft below 5,7 tonnes of maximum take-off weight.

Deadline: 01/01/2030, at the latest - See Art 12.4
Member States shall take the necessary measures to ensure that the electricity supplied to port originates from the electricity grid or is generated on site without using fossil fuels.

Deadline: 31/12/2030 - See Art 3,4 and 6.1
Along the TEN-T comprehensive road network, publicly accessible recharging pools dedicated to light-duty electric vehicles and meeting the requirements of Art 3 are deployed in each direction of travel with a maximum distance of 60 km between them. Each recharging pool offers a power output of at least 300 kW and includes at least one recharging point with an individual power output of at least 150 kW.

​. Along the TEN-T core road network, publicly accessible recharging pools dedicated to heavy-duty electric vehicles are deployed in each direction of travel with a maximum distance of 60 km between them and that each recharging pool offers a power output of at least 3 600 kW and includes at least two recharging points with an individual power output of at least 350 kW;

. Along the TEN-T comprehensive road network, publicly accessible recharging pools dedicated to heavy-duty electric vehicles are deployed in each direction of travel with a maximum distance of 100 km between them and each recharging pool offers a power output of at least 1 500 kW and includes at least one recharging point with an individual power output of at least 350 kW;

. in each safe and secure parking area at least four publicly accessible recharging stations dedicated to heavy-duty electric vehicles with an individual power output of at least 100 kW are deployed;
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. In each urban node publicly accessible recharging points dedicated to heavy-duty electric vehicles with an aggregated power output of at least 1 800 kW are deployed, provided by recharging stations with an individual power output of at least 150 kW.

. Targets for hydrogen refuelling infrastructure of road vehicles

Deadline: 31/12/2035; See Art 3
Each recharging pool offers a power output of at least 600 kW and includes at least two recharging points with an individual power output of at least 150 kW.

The National Policy Frameworks (NPF)

National targets for the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure
The NPFs and national targets for the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure are based on the requirements of Directive Directive 2014/94/EU.

Key points include:

  1. Adoption of National Policy Frameworks (NPFs): Member States were required to adopt NPFs and report them to the European Commission by November 18, 2016. These frameworks should specify national targets for building alternative fuels infrastructure.
  2. Infrastructure Roll-Out Requirements:
    • Electric Vehicles: A sufficient number of publicly accessible recharging points should be available in urban, suburban, and densely populated areas by the end of 2020.
    • Compressed Natural Gas (CNG): An adequate number of refueling points should be established in urban and suburban areas by the end of 2020, and along the TEN-T core network by the end of 2025.
    • Electricity for Ships (Shore-Side Electricity): Infrastructure should be provided at TEN-T core network ports and other ports by the end of 2025.
    • Hydrogen: Member States that opt to develop hydrogen fuel should have an appropriate number of refueling points by the end of 2025.
    • Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) at Ports: LNG infrastructure should be available at maritime ports of the TEN-T core network by the end of 2025 and at inland ports by the end of 2030.
    • LNG for Heavy-Duty Vehicles: Adequate refueling points should be available along the TEN-T core network by the end of 2025.
  3. Discretion on Hydrogen Infrastructure: It is up to Member States to set their own requirements for hydrogen infrastructure through their NPFs.
  4. Recommendations for Deployment Metrics: The Directive's recitals suggestspecific metrics for the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure, although these are more qualitative than quantitative.
  5. Availability of National Policy Frameworks: The full list of National Policy Frameworks notified by Member States is available, including English translations where possible.

​The directive aims to enhance the infrastructure for alternative fuels across the EU, contributing to the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, improving air quality, and reducing the dependency on fossil fuels.

National targets on alternative fuels infrastructure


Industrial Alliance for Renewable and Low-Carbon Fuels Value Chain

The Renewable and Low-Carbon Fuels Value Chain Industrial Alliance is an initiative aimed at increasing the production and supply of renewable and low-carbon fuels, specifically targeting the aviation and waterborne sectors.

Key aspects of this initiative include:
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  1. Support for FuelEU and ReFuelEU Regulations: The Alliance supports the objectives of the FuelEU Maritime Regulation 2023/1805 and ReFuelEU Aviation  Regulation 2023/2405, which are focused on promoting the use of renewable and low-carbon fuels in maritime and aviation sectors respectively.
  2. Collaborative Nature: It operates on a voluntary basis, involving a diverse group of stakeholders from different sectors, including transport fuels, technology, finance, as well as end-users.
  3. Broad Representation: Members include representatives from both the supply and demand sides of the aviation and waterborne fuel markets, as well as civil society organizations, government bodies, and agencies.
  4. Membership and Kickoff: The Alliance began its operations with an open call for membership applications on 6 April 2022, inviting stakeholders to join the collaborative effort.

​The Alliance's establishment represents a strategic move to consolidate efforts across sectors to meet the EU's ambitious energy and climate targets by fostering the use of cleaner fuel alternatives in significant transport sectors.
​Who Can Join the Alliance and How?
The Alliance is inclusive and welcomes a wide array of entities:
  • Eligible Members: This includes companies, organizations, EU bodies and agencies, member states, local and regional authorities, social partners, civil society organizations, and members of Horizon Europe Partnerships.
  • Open Membership: It maintains an open-door policy for new members throughout its operation.
  • Membership Criteria: Interested parties must adhere to the criteria laid out in the Alliance's declaration.
  • Joining Process: To join, an organization needs to sign the declaration, aligning with the Alliance's vision and actively contributing to its operational work.

Alliance's Activities and Goals
  • Ultimate Objective: The Alliance aims to secure sufficient supply of renewable and low-carbon fuels for aviation and waterborne transport, indirectly supporting the same for road transport, with a goal to cut GHG emissions in the transport sector by 90% by 2050.
  • Coordination and Exchange: It emphasizes the need for effective exchange and coordination among value chain actors to identify market opportunities and barriers, and to develop a project pipeline.
  • Work Programme: Objectives and priorities were set in an initial work program, which was approved by the General Assembly in July 2022.
  • Focus Areas: The Alliance focuses on supporting the development of a project pipeline across key fuel technologies and modes, addressing common challenges such as feedstock access, defining priority pathways, and securing financing.

Structure and Functioning of the Alliance
  • Work Plan and Roundtables: Post the inaugural General Assembly on 12 July 2022, members began collaborative work within four thematic roundtables, focusing on full value chain coordination.
  • General Assembly Participation: All members can participate in the General Assembly, which has two chambers—one for waterborne and one for aviation transport.
  • Leadership: For the first year, SAFRAN and Fincantieri chair the aviation and waterborne chambers, respectively.
  • Endorsement of Work Plan: The General Assembly discusses and approves the work plan, including objectives and milestones set by the Alliance's Steering Group.
  • Implementation: The work plan is put into action through specific roundtables, with the support of the Alliance Secretariat, run by FuelsEurope and Hydrogen Europe in its first year.
  • Steering Group Composition: It includes chamber chairs the partner organization running the Secretariat, and the Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport of the European Commission.

The Alliance's structure is designed to facilitate collaboration and progress towards its goals, ensuring a strategic approach to enhancing the supply and adoption of renewable and low-carbon fuels in critical transport sectors.

Members of the Alliance (22 September 2023)
2022-2023 Work Programme