The proposed Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (‘AFIR’) does not propose the appropriate measures to de-fossilize the road transport sector adequately and realistically. While it ensures minimum coverage of refueling points for LNG until 2025 for heavy-duty-vehicles, it completely ignores the further uptake of biomethane (compressed in cars and vans and liquid or compressed in heavy duty trucks) in the road transport sector. The AFIR fully facilitates electrification and the uptake of hydrogen in the transport sector, ignoring the potential of advanced biofuels and biogas. The AFIR, in combination with other proposals within the Fit for 55 package, therefore does not recognize the important complementary role of biomethane in de-fossilizing the road transport sector.
The Coalition therefore strongly urges the EU institutions to increase their efforts to stimulate the uptake of biomethane, as it is a complementary and scalable solution that can effectively facilitate a sustainable transition: it can utilize the current rolling fleet and existing fueling infrastructure, combined with modern recycling of waste, to make meaningful gains in reducing CO2 emissions. While full electrification and the further uptake of hydrogen are long-term viable options, they do not provide a concrete solution for the short to medium term: biomethane can bridge the EU’s de-fossilization ambitions with the reality of the EU road transport sector in both the passenger, light-duty and heavy-duty segments.
