Investments According to Ruijters, the investment programs to support the European Green Deal should also be mentioned. For example, the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF) program includes the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility (AFIF), which finances alternative fuels infrastructure along the trans-European transport network. It combines CEF grants with a financing component from a financial institution.
that use alternative using propulsion technologies such as hydrogen. Pending the entry into force of these standards, the European Commission is working to accelerate the certification process for vessels using alternative propulsion systems to ensure innovation, safety and security of ships.”
The European Commission is also currently assessing the need for measures to promote low/zero carbon vessels. However, according to Ruijters, these measures must be based on an approved method, which indicates the carbon intensity levels of vessels. The Horizon Europe project Platina4Action is working on such an energy index methodology. Platina4Ation’s insights will feed into CESNI’s work to establish an EU-wide approved methodology.
Herald Ruijters As zero-emission technologies are new,
research and work are still needed for their rollout
For the current call for project proposals 2024-2025, 1 billion euros in subsidies have been made available for the rollout of the relevant infrastructure, including for inland shipping. Support is provided, among other things, to hydrogen, electricity and methanol infrastructure and to vessels to activate that infrastructure. The next application phase ends on June 12, 2025.
In addition to the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RFF), which allows Member States to invest in sustainable mobility, the European Commission has designed InvestEU to leverage private and public resources. Ruijters: “This program offers risk-bearing capacity to the market through guarantees for banks and equity. InvestEU thus facilitates investments in sustainable infrastructure and mobile assets and includes the inland waterway transport sector with its small and medium-sized operators. Finally, I would also like to mention in this context the Innovation Fund, which will further support the roll-out of zero-emission vessels and cover operational costs.”
Regulations Ruijters points out that, in addition to research and financing, regulations are also needed to decarbonise inland navigation: “That is why the European Commission is working together with the European Committee for Drawing up Standards for Inland Navigation (CESNI) on the development of standards for vessels
20 • RH2INE Herald Ruijters
The partnership must scale up innovation, focus on the right
technologies and sustainable fuels and accelerate their rollout
Finally, according to Ruijters, the results of the ‘Fit For-55’ legislative package should be mentioned: “The Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) is in force and should promote the roll-out of infrastructure for greener vessels. Under the Renewable Energy Directive, Member States can provide for certain quotas for fuels used in inland navigation. There is also now the opportunity to extend the Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) to fuels used in inland shipping, which could provide incentives for decarbonisation.”
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