European truck manufacturers are urging policy makers to accelerate the deployment of infrastructure to deliver natural gas and renewable gas/biomethane across the European Union.
In a joint statement, the European Biogas Association (EBA), the Natural & bio Gas Vehicle Association (NGVA Europe) and the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA) said Europe needs to trigger a successful energy transition as part of the road map leading to full net-zero emissions mobility by 2050.
As priorities, the signatories called on the EU to expand natural gas infrastructure to evenly cover the whole EU territory and support the integration and use of a growing rate of renewable gas in the market.
“Compressed natural gas (CNG) and liquified natural gas (LNG) are concrete solutions for both private vehicles and freight transport by road that can make an important contribution to this transition, while also being complementary to other alternative powertrain and fuel options,” said the statement.
The organizations would like to see the progressive incorporation of such renewables in both gas grids and pipelines to help reduce carbon emissions by the road transport sector.
“A considerable amount of renewable gas is already available, fully in line with the strictest sustainability criteria,” said the organizations.
“To accelerate the switch to renewable gases and further bring down the tailpipe CO2 emissions of the current and future CNG and LNG fleets, the strategic and instrumental role of existing infrastructure has to be preserved.
“Not only new vehicles, but also the existing fleet can benefit from the wider use of renewable fuels, thereby contributing to the decarbonization process,” the statement said.
ACEA Mobility & Sustainable Transport Director Petr Dolejsi said all options needed to be on the table for road transport.
“Natural and renewable gas is an available resource that can help to reduce CO2 emissions from new and existing vehicles,” he added.
“Hence, we call on policy makers to deliver what the EU Directive on Alternative Fuels Infrastructure (DAFI) already provides and to put more emphasis on the rollout of EU-wide infrastructure for all fuel and energy options in the future.”
EBA Secretary General Susanna Pflüger said gas mobility contributed to affordable, accessible, healthier and cleaner alternatives in the transport sector, fully in line with the European Green Deal. “Bio-CNG and bio-LNG have very low well-to-wheel emissions and bring along multiple knock-on effects for the environment and European societies,” she added.