EU adopts legislative proposals on biomethane and hydrogen
The European Parliament has backed two legislative proposals that seek to increase the uptake of low-carbon gases such as biomethane and hydrogen on the EU market.
PHOTO: European Parliament headquarters in Strasbourg, France. Getty Images
To facilitate this, the Industry, Research and Energy Committee of the European Parliament has adopted its position on two acts – one directive and one regulation.
The legislation would also create a certification system for low-carbon gases that will make it easier for consumers to switch from a fossil fuel supplier to a provider of renewable gases, the Parliament says.
In their amendments to the directive, Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have acknowledged the need to boost investment and development of adequate infrastructure to support the plan for a hydrogen corridor in Europe.
“The aim is to ensure that enough cross-border capacity is available to establish an integrated European hydrogen market – the so-called “hydrogen backbone”, and enable hydrogen to move freely across borders,” the Parliament says.
In their amendments to the regulation, MEPs say that member states should ensure the collective production of 35 billion cbm of sustainable biomethane by the end of this decade. This will replace 20% of Russian natural gas imports. This biomethane would be injected into the natural gas system to reduce dependency on Russian inflows.
Jery Buzek, a rapporteur on the regulation, says, “The age of hydrogen is coming. To make it happen in the EU, we need a stable and well-balanced regulatory framework, financial support as well as investments in new infrastructure.”
“We want to boost the development of biomethane and create incentives for producers and consumers to switch to green and low-carbon hydrogen,” he adds.
The draft directive has been adopted with 62 votes to two, with seven abstentions. The draft regulation has been adopted with 54 votes to 17, with one abstention.
By Shilpa Sharma
Please get in touch with comments or additional info to news@engine.online
