The G7 Transport promotes biofuels and rejects the EU
The G7 of transport ministers concluded with a declaration in defense of technological neutrality and biofuels; European policies on sustainable mobility, however, focus on electric. The Italian government continues its battle against Brussels (and in favor of Eni)
The G7 of transport ministers which took place last week in Milan concluded with a declaration on the "future of mobility" which refers to technological neutrality, a concept promoted by Giorgia Meloni's government in controversy with transport policies. energy and climate of the European Commission.
WHO WAS THERE AND WHAT WAS TALKED ABOUT AT THE G7 TRANSPORT
Present at the G7, chaired by Infrastructure Minister Matteo Salvini, were the Transport Ministers of Canada (Pablo Rodriguez), France (Patrice Vergriete), Germany (Volker Wissing), Japan (Tetsuo Saito) and the United Kingdom (Mark Harper), plus US Deputy Secretary of Transportation (Polly Trottenberg). In addition to representatives of the group's member countries, the European Commissioner for Transport (Adina Valean) and the secretary general of the International Transport Forum (Young Tae Kim), an OECD body, participated.
The meeting, from 12 to 13 April, was dedicated to the adaptation of transport systems to new technological, climatic and political challenges – from artificial intelligence to extreme meteorological events to the West-China competition, therefore – and to global maritime connectivity .
TECHNOLOGICAL NEUTRALITY AND THE QUESTION OF BIOFUELS
Technological neutrality is that principle that invites us to take into consideration all the technologies available for decarbonization, and not just some.
In the specific case of mobility, the Italian government accuses the European Commission of favoring electric vehicles over low-carbon alternatives. From 2035, in fact, it will no longer be possible to register petrol or diesel cars in European territory: a decision designed to accelerate the decarbonisation of the transport sector and thus reduce the Union's emissions, but which could have a negative impact on the European automotive industry given the strong Chinese advantage in battery technologies and supply chains.
– Read also: Why Biden's regulation on car emissions does not require electric cars
Under pressure from Germany, Brussels has provided an exemption for electrofuels (or e-fuels ), "neutral" synthetic fuels from the point of view of emissions and capable of circulating in internal combustion engines: it means that cars powered by -fuel will not be affected by the post-2035 sales ban. Italy, however, was unable to obtain a similar exemption for biofuels: these are low-emission fuels suitable for use in traditional engines, but obtained not synthetically but from agricultural crops or organic waste.
In Italy there is a biofuel industry, led by Eni, but not e-fuel production.
WHAT THE G7 DECIDED
Point nineteen of the final declaration of the G7 Transport Ministers – entitled The Future of Mobility: Ensuring Global Connectivity in an Uncertain World – contains a defense of the concept of technological neutrality and an equation of e-fuels with biofuels. The statement is as follows (the bold text is ours):
We welcome the various actions taken by each country that has set targets aligned to 1.5°C for the transition to net-zero emissions transport and that has introduced regulatory frameworks to accelerate the deployment of technologies to this end, including fuel-efficient vehicles. zero and low emissions and renewable, zero and low carbon and neutral fuels, such as sustainable biofuels and e-fuels . We recognize that it is important that the transition is socially and economically just, accessible, efficient, results-based and technology-neutral . We also recognize the importance of investing in zero- and low-emission vehicles, charging and alternative fuel infrastructure, and the provision of zero- and low-carbon renewable and sustainable fuels in sufficient quantities and at affordable prices. We note the importance of continuing to interact constructively and positively with private operators.
IT'S NOT THE FIRST TIME
It is not the first time that the G7 has spoken out in defense of biofuels, putting them on the same level – unlike what the European Commission has done – as e-fuels . A year ago, in the conclusions of the summit dedicated to climate, energy and the environment, the two fuels were spoken of as "opportunities to contribute to a strong decarbonisation of the automotive sector".
At the G20 in September, held in New Delhi, the Global Alliance on Biofuels was launched to encourage the production and marketing (they still have high prices) of these fuels to replace those derived from fossil fuels.
A few weeks ago the Minister of the Environment, Gilberto Pichetto, reiterated the government's position on sustainable mobility, declaring that for the decarbonisation of transport "biofuels will also be needed" and not just electric.
ENI'S NEWS ON BIOFUELS
In January Eni confirmed the project for the construction of the third biorefinery in Italy, after those in Venice Porto Marghera and Gela: it will be in Livorno; it is not a plant built from scratch but a conversion of the existing refinery.
Eni wants to bring Italian biorefining capacity from the current 1.6 million tonnes per year to over 5 million tonnes by 2030.
THE REPORT OF CDP, ENI AND SNAM FOR TECHNOLOGICAL NEUTRALITY
Criticism of the European Union's green policies does not only come from the Italian government, but also from large state-owned companies.
At the beginning of the year, for example, a long report was presented by Il Sole 24 Ore with the collaboration of Cassa Depositi e Prestiti, Autostrade per l'Italia, Eni, Snam and more, entitled The revolution in sustainable mobility starts from the motorways . The document stated that "the most efficient and effective path for the decarbonisation of mobility is undoubtedly the one which, according to a principle of technological neutrality, considers the available solutions in a synergistic and complementary way with each other, on the basis of the specific segment of use […]. In some regulations defined or in the process of being defined in Europe (for example CO2 standard regulations for Light Duty Vehicles, LDV, and Heavy Duty Vehicles, HDV) do not fully consider the benefits obtainable from the use of renewable and low carbon fuels in diesel engines. internal combustion".
The paper , in essence, invited European regulators to count the emissions produced by a vehicle throughout the entire production and use period, and not to measure them only 'at the exhaust'. In fact, if this last approach is used, the only possible clean technology is electric; on the contrary, if the entire life cycle is considered, biofuels and synthetic fuels may also be permitted.
This is a machine translation from Italian language of a post published on Start Magazine at the URL https://www.startmag.it/energia/g7-trasporti-dichiarazione-finale-biocarburanti/ on Mon, 15 Apr 2024 09:10:52 +0000.