200 stakeholders demand the inclusion of sustainable fuels in EU standards

On February 14, 2023, an official draft for the CO2 emission standard for heavy-duty vehicles is to be announced. According to the eFuel Alliance e.V., about 120 signatories from the business sector and more than 90 scientists, including the Federal Association of Road Haulage, Logistics, and Disposal (BGL) e.V., DB Schenker, Deutz, the Federal Association of Freight Forwarding and Logistics (DSLV), the Iveco Group, Eni, and Krone, have addressed politicians of the European Union in a joint letter. According to the alliance, a first draft has leaked, which does not provide for the consideration of renewable sustainable fuels. In a public survey by the EU Commission, 66 percent of all stakeholders had previously spoken in favor of considering renewable fuels, according to the initiative. According to eFuel Alliance e.V., heavy-duty transport accounts for 27 percent of road traffic CO2 emissions in the EU and five percent of total CO2 emissions in the EU, which is more than the combined CO2 emissions of air and sea transport. Since 1990, these emissions have increased by 25 percent.

The defossilization of heavy-duty vehicles, especially long-haul trucks, is a high priority in achieving sector targets in transport. However, according to representatives from business and science, the EU Commission seems to continue to reject the consideration of renewable fuels. The signatories fear that the competitiveness of the European logistics sector could be significantly impaired should “the industry's options for action be denied.”

"There is no doubt that manufacturers, suppliers, and other stakeholders will decisively push forward the electrification of heavy-duty transport. At the same time, it is essential to accompany freight forwarders and logisticians on the path to electrification with application-oriented solutions. To ensure the resilience and flexibility of the industry, actors must be given the necessary freedom of action and decision-making in technology selection," warns Ralf Diemer, managing director of the eFuel Alliance.

Apart from the still insufficiently expanded charging infrastructure and worsening raw material shortages, according to Diemer, the challenges of intra-European road freight transport make a shift away from liquid fuels impossible in the short term.

"Simply ignoring the use of sustainable fuels and thus an enormous CO2 reduction potential entails enormous risks and is considered wrong by most of this industry and many renowned scientists," emphasizes Diemer.

The eFuel Alliance is an initiative that, according to its own information, advocates for the industrial production of synthetic liquid fuels and combustibles from renewable energies. Companies, associations, and individuals from sectors such as the oil trade and industry, the automotive and automotive supplier industry, mechanical and plant engineering, research and science, the aviation and maritime sectors, the chemical industry, as well as energy production and generation have joined forces.