A Lost Decade

The EU Transport Council Adopts a Minimum Maritime LNG Infrastructure for 2030.

The Transport Council on the 5th of December has agreed a general approach on a proposal aimed at building up minimum infrastructure for alternative fuels across the EU. The directive is part of the Clean Power for Transport initiative.

The Commission in its initial proposal had set concrete targets whereby the core ports of the TEN-T network would need to provide LNG fuelling points by 2020 (for marine ports) and 2025 (for inland ports) which was welcomed by the shipbuilding and marine equipment industry.

SEA Europe would, however, like to express its disappointment with the Transport Council decision on the 5th of December which now means that Member States would have to adopt a minimum maritime LNG infrastructure by 2030. In other words a lost decade for proactively meeting the rigorous environmental emission targets which have been placed upon the maritime sector.

LNG for shipping is seen as a real option for meeting IMO environmental regulation (e.g. EEDI requirements) for certain ship tonnage such as passenger ships as well as for drastically abating emissions.

The Member States voting behind the ‘lost decade’ are also the same ones voting for the 2025 target for the reduction of CO2 by 30%.

This decision, if adopted, will stand yet again as example of unnecessary uncertainty in a regulatory process undermining investments, penalizing “first movers” and de facto blocking technological development.

SEA Europe hopes that the market will be more visionary than the Member States, so that LNG continues to develop independently of regulatory action but this will require a real concerted effort by all stakeholders of the maritime sector. In the meantime SEA Europe calls upon the European Parliament, as co-legislator in their upcoming discussion with Council to stand firm with their proposal stating that ‘a core network of LNG refuelling points for maritime…should be available …by the end of 2020’.

SEA Europe represents the European shipbuilding and marine equipment industry that manufacturers and integrates the necessary LNG hardware on board vessels. The European industry is a global leader in innovative technologies. It saw the stricter EC targets as a real opportunity to demonstrate already existing LNG products and encourage further investment and research into ever more efficient technology and reducing the environmental footprint of shipping.