Yesterday, the Commission presented its EU Ports and EU Industrial Maritime Strategies and its vision for the future of the sector. Hydrogen Europe welcome these two strategies, and the recognition of the role of the shipping and ports sectors for the Union’s energy transition, resilience, and competitiveness.

The Ports Strategy rightly positions ports as critical infrastructure, not only as transport nodes, but as industrial and energy hubs central to clean fuels deployment, supply chain security, and geopolitical positioning:

• There is an important role laid out for ports as ‘multi-fuel ports’, facilitating the rollout of sustainable maritime fuels.
• The Commission supports investments in clean fuel infrastructure and renewable fuels in third countries.
• Partnerships will be sought on energy cooperation in and around port areas for sustainable use of energy, including hydrogen.

The Industrial Maritime Strategy aims to strengthen the EU’s maritime manufacturing sector, and related value chain. It responds to a loss of competitiveness of the European maritime industrial sector worldwide:

• The Strategy correctly identifies the need to close the cost gap between conventional and alternative fuels through the ETS and the FuelEU Maritime Regulation.
• The Commission “strongly encourages” Member States to allocate part of their ETS revenues back to maritime decarbonisation investments. It is also considering an EU mechanism under the forthcoming ETS revision to support the uptake of sustainable fuels.
• The Commission is pursuing engagement with the IMO and strategic partnerships with third countries and market players through a European network of green shipping lanes and hubs.

It is important that the Commission is ambitious in its decarbonisation and competitiveness targets. The Commission backtracked on earlier ambition by deciding not to include a minimum supply obligation on fuel suppliers for Sustainable Maritime Fuels (SMF) in the Ports Strategy. Instead, it is looking to the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), under which it will consider measures to accelerate the deployment of infrastructure for SMF.

Whereas there is definitely a need for certainty around infrastructure for alternative fuels, Hydrogen Europe recommends that the Commission further ensures clean fuel offtake by strengthening the binding RFNBO targets under FuelEU Maritime.

Lastly, the EU must lead from the front when it comes to IMO ambition while avoiding double legislation and not lowering ambitions in the EU itself.

For more info:

• Ports Strategy
• Industrial Maritime Strategy
• EC Communication on Ports and Industrial Maritime Strategies