The total production of e-fuels for maritime transport 80 European projects focusing on the production of green hydrogen and synthetic fuels will not be enough for the decarbonization objectives of the shipping sector. This is highlighted by the latest report of the observatory on e-fuels of Transport & Environment (T&E), the aimless organization promoting the development of a European mobility system zero-emission products. The observatory explained that, despite these projects could produce 3.6 million tonnes equivalent of oil by 2032, less than 5% of the total is dedicated mainly to maritime transport which, therefore, will not have of the quantities of alternative fuels useful for its decarbonisation, unless - T&E specified - the does not introduce new incentives.

The observatory found that the volumes of e-fuels expected for shipping are therefore below the target of a 1% share of renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBO) of the annual energy used on board by returning ships within the scope of the European FuelEU Maritime Regulation by 2031 and are well below the sub-target of 2% in the annual energy used on board by a ship from the first January 2034 provided for by the regulation.

The observatory then remarked that, in the absence of precise EU and national policies, combined with financial incentives dedicated areas, it is likely that the European objectives on e-fuels for maritime transport are achieved with fuels imported, or not reached at all.

Finally, noting that the transition of the maritime sector towards the synthetic fuels, while not retreating, is nevertheless slow, Transport & Environment has proposed measures to encourage use, starting from the allocation of a share of the revenues of the ETS Emissions Trading System for Transport to support the production of RFNBO in Europe, also proposing to limit bilateral auctioning at EU level announced in the Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP) to RFNBOs alone, as advanced biofuels are already incentivised through FuelEU which does not allow derived biofuels from food and feed crops for compliance purposes.

Among other proposals, it is urged to evaluate the possibility of to promote the competitiveness of European industry of e-fuel through dedicated incentives under FuelEU. According to T&E, this could take the form of an obligation for ships calling at EU ports to refuel with a specific quantity of RFNBOs produced in the EU, or a higher multiplier for using RFNBO products in the EU.