EU Parliament to vote on FuelEU Maritime today
Members of the European Parliament will also vote on the amended Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) today.
PHOTO: The European Parliament building in Strasbourg, France. Getty Images
The European Parliament (EP) and Council reached a provisional agreement on the FuelEU Maritime regulation and amended AFIR mandate in March this year. Both potential legislations were announced as part of the EU's "Fit for 55" roadmap.
According to the provisional agreement on the FuelEU Maritime regulation, the maritime sector will have to cut the greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity of the energy used onboard ships by 2% as of 2025, 14.5% as of 2035 and 80% as of 2050, compared to 2020 levels.
These targets will apply to ships above 5,000 gross tonnes (GT), to all energy used onboard ships in or between EU ports, and to 50% of the energy used on voyages where the departure or arrival port is outside of the EU.
Additionally, these vessels must use at least 2% of renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBOs) by 2034. These are typically green hydrogen-based fuels. The EU will also reward companies that decide to opt for these fuels up to 2035 through a so-called "multiplier of 2" towards emissions counting. It is meant to reward early adopters of certain sustainable fuels over others, such as green ammonia over biofuels.
The provisional agreement also stipulated that fuel suppliers would be held liable for compensating shipowners or operators if they failed to provide the fuel specified in the contract.
Meanwhile, the EU's revised Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) will require all inland ports connected to the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) to have shoreside electricity infrastructure by 2030.
Once the text of the draft regulation is formally approved by the European Parliament, it will be sent to the European Council for ratification. After both legislative bodies have formally endorsed the text, it will be published in the EU Official Journal.
By Konica Bhatt
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