Road transport, shippers and energy groups in Europe have called for carbon-neutral fuels to be recognized as a long-term decarbonisation solution, alongside electricity and hydrogen, for a well-functioning and stable EU logistics sector.
In a joint letter sent today to EU Executive Vice-President Frans Timmermans, the IRU, the European Shippers Council and FuelsEurope – representing road transport operators, shippers and energy suppliers – called for full and equal recognition of carbon-neutral liquid fuels for onshore use. Combustion engines, along with electric and hydrogen fuel cells, are included in the proposed EU heavy duty vehicle (HDV) CO2 regulations.
For a well-functioning and stable logistics sector in the EU, road transport operators and shippers must be able to identify the most suitable technology for different types of operations to achieve our common goal: carbon neutrality by 2050.
However, achieving this goal depends on the technology options allowed by upcoming legislation, which affect both vehicles and infrastructure.
“Critical logistics chains that supply EU citizens with food, medicine and other necessities should not be subject to an uncertain leap into the dark that could jeopardize their stability,” said Raluca Marian, EU Advocacy Director at IRU.
“The proposal for a CO2 standard for the logistics sector in Europe should push all options to achieve carbon neutrality,” she added. “A complete move away from combustion, although this too could achieve the same goal, depending on what is burned, does not “It can only be described as an unnecessary and risky experiment.”
Carbon neutral fuels are also the most realistic option for decarbonising aviation, most marine transport and the current fleet of land vehicles. The availability of sustainable biomass is more than sufficient to meet the demand for advanced biofuels for all three modes of transportation.
