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Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy
The Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy was published by the European Commission on 9th December 2020. Its main message consists in the ambition of making mobility ‘more sustainable, smarter and more resilient,’ by 2030, three aspects that shape the structure of the document. It provides a vision on the European transport system and transport policies, not least in the perspective of the sector’s decarbonisation. Indeed, to achieve the Green Deal of carbon neutrality by 2050, EU transport greenhouse gas emissions will have to be cut by 90%. The Strategy lays out the Commission’s roadmap to achieve these goals in the next ten years. With transport as a major end-use for hydrogen, the Strategy is therefore highly relevant for the hydrogen sector.
In a nutshell, the Strategy adopts an integrated approach by looking at demand, supply, infrastructure, and fuels in the transport sector.
The European Commission’s Strategy foresees a total of 30 million zero-emission cars and 80,000 zero-emission lorries by 2030. Nearly all cars, vans, buses as well as new heavy-duty vehicles will be zero-emission by 2050. Automated mobility will be deployed at large scale by then.
Specifically, for hydrogen, it will have an estimated share of 31-40% in road transport fuels in 2050, and e-fuels will account for 10-17%. In terms of infrastructure, the Strategy aims to deploy 500 hydrogen refuelling stations by 2025 and 1,000 by 2030. It recalls the revision of several legislative acts under the Fit for 55 package: the CO2 standards for passenger cars and vans regulation, the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Directive, the CO2 standards regulation for heavy-duty vehicles and the development of Euro 7 standards. Furthermore, the revision of EU’s cap-and-trade system, the EU ETS, includes road transport, together with buildings in a separate system with emission allowances (ETS II). The Strategy also underlines that the revision of the Energy Taxation Directive will align it with the Union’s climate targets in order to better incentivise sustainable transport fuels. The roadworthiness legislative framework will be adjusted too. The ambitions are to double high-speed rail traffic by 2030 and triple by 2050.
Multi- and intramodality are also tackled as rail freight traffic should double by 2050 and inland waterways or short sea shipping should increase by 25% by 2030. Besides, the Commission’s plan foresees collective travel of under 500 km to be carbon neutral within the EU by 2030. The Commission deems that, wherever electrification of rail transport is not viable, the use of hydrogen should be increased.
Besides, the Strategy calls for the ‘polluter pays' and ‘user pays' principles to be implemented without delay. It sets the aim of 100 climate neutral cities, with a focus on zero-emission last-mile delivery.
The Strategy advocates for the large-scale deployment of ‘sustainable renewable and low-carbon fuels [...] without delay’. It argues that ‘energy efficiency shall be a criterion’ in technological prioritisation, by ‘looking at the whole-life cycle’.
The multimodal Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T) equipped for sustainable and smart transport with high-speed connectivity should be operational by 2030 for the core network and for the comprehensive network by 2050. The revised TEN-T Regulation has also been adopted in December 2023. In it mandatory targets were set for extensive rail development on the TEN-T core and extended core network, obligation on all 430 major cities along the network to develop Sustainable Urban Mobility Plans to promote zero and low emission mobility, in addition to greater alignment between national transport and investment plans and TEN-T objectives.
Finally, the Strategy underlines the role of new public-private partnerships such as the Clean Hydrogen Partnership in delivering innovating vehicle technologies. Furthermore, a Renewable and Low-Carbon Fuels Value Chain Alliance were also established to complement the Clean Hydrogen and Battery Alliances.
On the 10th May 2021, the Committee on Transport and Tourism in the European Parliament, presented a draft report with the Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety associated. The draft report emphasised the need for more ambition in relation to deployment of zero-emission vehicles in road, maritime and aviation and proposed binding targets for public charging infrastructure. The Committees on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety, on Women's Rights and Gender Equality on Industry, Research and Energy and on Legal Affairs have also provided their opinions to the report. The procedure has not proceeded further, as MEPs have focused on the legislative proposals released by the European Commission in the Fit for 55 Package, which directly tackle issues discussed in the Strategy.
On the 25th May 2021, the Council adopted its conclusions on the strategy emphasising the contribution of all transport modes for the reduction of sectoral emissions, through an ambitious, but balanced shift towards zero-emission fleets. The conclusions additionally emphasise the need for incentives for the uptake of sustainable transport and the importance of research and innovation.
What’s in it for hydrogen?
The strategy provides a holistic approach on transport. Hydrogen and renewable and low-carbon fuels are systematically mentioned therein aside of electrification as solutions to decarbonise the various transport modes. The Commission’s vision for transport strives to be technology-neutral, while prioritising energy efficient solutions by ‘looking at the whole-life cycle.’
Regarding road transport, the strategy provides the Commission’s first clear targets for hydrogen refuelling stations: 500 in 2025 and 1,000 in 2030. Whereas the need identified by the industry is larger, 1,500 HRS would be needed by 2030 for the heavy-duty sector, as stated by the industry, target-based rolling out of hydrogen refuelling infrastructure across the TEN-E will help incentivise the switch to hydrogen mobility solutions and tackle the chicken-and-egg-problem. The Strategy also forecasts a substantial share of hydrogen (31-40%) and of e-fuels (10-17%) in the road transport sector in 2050.
In addition, the creation of the new Alliance on Renewable and Low-Carbon Fuels was carried out, where hydrogen and hydrogen-made fuels represent a key element. The Strategy also highlights the role of the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance, which could support further the rolling out of clean hydrogen transport solutions.
The Strategy also referred to the revised EU ETS, which covers both aviation and the maritime sector, where the increasingly ambitious reduction of free allowances will push for more decarbonisation in the sectors. In addition, Sustainable Aviation Fuels are also subject to new rules and quotas under the revised ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation. These steps intend to bolster sectorial decarbonisation. Besides, the Strategy provides an ecosystem approach for ports and airports, which should become zero emission hubs. As a matter of fact, hydrogen’s role is acknowledged there, providing further business opportunities beyond strict fuel distribution infrastructure and hydrogen planes (e.g., possible onsite electrolysis, use of hydrogen fuel in logistics equipment, etc.).
Regarding rail transport, the Commission’s focus concerns cross-border regulatory harmonisation, opening to competition via the implementation of the Fourth Railways Package, and cross-border infrastructure deployment, among others. Whereas hydrogen is not a key priority per se in the sector, the Commission advocates for the increased use of hydrogen-powered trains, wherever electrification of rail transport is not viable. This provides for business opportunities, not least to replace highly polluting diesel locomotives, and enlarges hydrogen end-uses perspectives.
In addition, it is key to mention the creation of the Alliance on Renewable and Low-Carbon Fuels Value Chain, where hydrogen and hydrogen-made fuels undoubtedly represent a key element. The Strategy also highlights the roles of the European Clean Hydrogen Alliance, which could support further the rolling out of clean hydrogen transport solutions.
Links to the original document and additional information:
Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy
Draft Report on the sustainable and smart mobility strategy
Council conclusions on Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy
Provisional Agreement on the revised Trans-European Transport network regulation
