The Spanish Minister of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda, Raquel Sánchez, did not finally support in the Council of Transport Ministers (compared to what her own communication cabinet had announced) the proposal to establish a quota of 2% in the use of hydrogen and its derivatives by 2030 in maritime navigation to power these clean fuels.
The introduction of the use of green hydrogen and derivatives (ammonia, green synthetic methanol and synthetic methane) is considered fundamental to be able to face the decarbonization of maritime transport, strongly dependent on fossil fuels (heavy fuel oil and in the future gas...) , and act in harmony with the Paris agreement against climate change. However, everything indicates that the General Directorate of the Merchant Marine is resisting the proposal, which is promoted by Germany and with the support of other countries.
Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Sweden have supported text arguing that a more proactive legislative framework is needed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions in the maritime sector.
“In the debates on this file to date, we have emphasized the possibility and the need for greater ambition and we have presented several credible proposals and openings for debate to try to achieve it,” they point out in a document that has not been supported by Spain. .
Specifically, this text is committed to higher objectives for 2030, with a 2.6% share of renewable energy.
"Greater ambitions on the demand side are needed to help strengthen the competitiveness of the EU maritime sector and provide planning reliability to fuel suppliers, shipowners and operators," they say in their document. It calls for "greater ambition from EU Member States to maintain our credibility in our efforts to promote an ambitious global greenhouse gas reduction strategy within the IMO, which is also crucial to maintain a level playing field.
On the other hand, the Ministry did support the obligation to introduce a minimum clean fuel of 2% in aviation at all airports in the European Union from 2025, gradually increasing to 5% in 2030, 20% in 2035, 32 % in 2040, 38% in 2045 and 63% in 2050.
The minister has defended this latest regulation because, firstly, it is an "effective" measure for decarbonisation in this sector, since it establishes reasonable obligations and deadlines throughout the EU, and, secondly, because "it gives certainty to operators and to the competent authorities.
Regarding maritime transport, Sánchez congratulated his European counterparts for reaching a 'general orientation'.
He also thanked the inclusion in the debate of fundamental elements for Spain, such as the exception in the application of the regulation to 50% permanently in outermost regions such as the Canary Islands and 100% until 2030 in island regions with less than 200,000 inhabitants, such as Ibiza. and Minorca.
On this point, the minister outlined the obligation to protect the competitiveness of ports and the jobs they generate, for which she highly valued the measures taken to prevent carbon leakage to the so-called 'evasive ports' and that ships arriving in the EU will have to progressively limit their carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
The meeting, which has lasted throughout the day, has served to establish the general guidelines of the Council of the EU regarding the measures of the package known as 'Fit for 55', relating to the infrastructure of alternative fuels in the aviation sector and maritime, in order to achieve the goal of reducing emissions by 55% in 2030.
Spain will defend the competitiveness of ports such as Valencia and Algeciras or the Canary and Balearic Islands in European decarbonization policies, assured the Spanish Minister of Transport, Raquel Sánchez, upon her arrival at a council of European ministers of the industry.
"We defend the competitiveness of our ports and, of course, that the singularities of the Canary and Balearic Islands be addressed," said Sánchez, ahead of a debate in which the ministers will analyze the "challenges of climate change in the air and and the deployment of recharging infrastructure in the Member States".
Member states were expected to approve this Thursday their "general orientation" in several regulations, including one for the progressive decarbonization of maritime transport in the European Union between 2025 and 2050, which must later be negotiated with the European Parliament.
At the request of Spain, according to diplomatic sources, this has been modified with respect to the initial version presented by the European Commission so that it does not harm the interests of ports in the Iberian Peninsula or the Spanish islands.
The regulation, called "Fuel EU Maritime", seeks that ships arriving in the EU have to progressively limit their CO2 emissions.
But there was a risk that shipping lines would divert their long-haul routes to call at North African ports near the EU before touching down on European land, so that ships would be subject to less stringent weather requirements.
For this reason, the legislation that the Member States were expected to support considers "ghost ports" those located less than 300 kilometers from the European Union, such as Tangier (Morocco), so that the ships that dock in them require the the same as those who travel directly to European territory.
The regulation, in its current wording, also includes clauses so that the Balearic Islands do not lose competitiveness, for which they would have an extension until 2030, while the outermost regions such as the Canary Islands will enjoy a permanent exemption for container ships and ferries. EFE/AC
