C(2023)01086

This Commission delegated Regulation supplements Directive (EU) 2018/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council by establishing a minimum threshold for greenhouse gas emissions savings of recycled carbon fuels and by specifying a methodology for assessing greenhouse gas emissions savings from renewable liquid and gaseous transport fuels of non-biological origin and from recycled carbon fuels.

Background

The recast Renewable Energy Directive introduces new provisions for promoting the use of renewable liquid and gaseous transport fuels of nonbiological origin and recycled carbon fuels.

The Directive establishes a minimum threshold for greenhouse gas emissions savings for renewable liquid and gaseous transport fuels of non-biological origin but does not establish a minimum threshold for greenhouse gas emissions savings of recycled carbon fuels and does not specify the methodology by which to assess the greenhouse gas emissions savings from renewable liquid and gaseous transport fuels of non-biological origin and from recycled carbon fuels. However, the Directive includes an empowerment of the European Commission to establish those in delegated acts.

Content

This Regulation establishes a minimum threshold for greenhouse gas emissions savings of recycled carbon fuels and specifies the methodology to calculate the greenhouse gas emissions savings from renewable liquid and gaseous transport fuels of non-biological origin and from recycled carbon fuels.

The Regulation stipulates that the greenhouse gas emissions savings from the use of recycled carbon fuels shall be at least 70% .

The greenhouse gas emissions savings from renewable liquid and gaseous transport fuels of non-biological origin and from recycled carbon fuels shall be determined in accordance with the methodology set out in Annex I of the Regulation.

The text stresses the need for clear rules to be set, based on objective and non-discriminatory criteria, for calculating greenhouse gas emissions savings for renewable liquid and gaseous transport fuels of non-biological origin and recycled carbon fuels and their fossil fuel comparators.

The greenhouse gas emissions accounting methodology should take into account the full life-cycle emissions from producing renewable liquid and gaseous transport fuels of non-biological origin and recycled carbon fuels and be based on objective and non-discriminatory criteria.

The Delegated Act provides a methodology for calculating life-cycle greenhouse gas emissions for renewable fuels of non-biological origin. The methodology takes into account greenhouse gas emissions across the full lifecycle of the fuels, including upstream emissions, emissions associated with taking electricity from the grid, from processing, and those associated with transporting these fuels to the end-consumer.

The methodology also clarifies how to calculate the greenhouse gas emissions of renewable hydrogen or its derivatives in case it is co-produced in a facility that produces fossil-based fuels.

C(2023)01086