Decision makers in the Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) Committee of the European Parliament missed the chance to vote for a Gas Package supporting a renewables and green hydrogen-based transition, a climate NGO has claimed.
CAN Europe said the Gas Package will fail to provide a clear exit path for fossil gas by 2035 and put Europe on track with the Paris Agreement.
A majority voted in favour of gas operators (ENTSOG) to be in charge of designing future hydrogen infrastructure for some key sectors.
“This is bad news for creating energy infrastructure fit for a renewables-based energy transition,” stated CAN Europe.
The organisation added: “Moreover, the definition of low carbon gases, another thorny issue defining the carbon content across the supply chain of so-called low carbon gases (e.g. fossil gas based hydrogen, grey or blue), needs to be strengthened considerably, with a reduction factor of 80% instead of 70%.
“In the absence of these, the Gas Package, part of the ‘Fit for 55′, will not contribute to fighting the climate emergency and bringing down costs for energy prices impacting heavily millions of EU consumers.”
CAN Europe gas expert Esther Bollendorff said: “The European Parliament’s final deal is focusing on false solutions on the Gas Package while it does not lay solid grounds for a genuine fossil gas exit, which the shock wave of the Russian aggression should actually have catalysed.
“Considerable governance problems arise from the fact that an independent hydrogen planning body (ENNOH) is under attack.
Giving gas operators (ENTSOG) the task of hydrogen infrastructure planning jeopardises clear “guidance on where hydrogen networks will be useful and where gas networks will need to go, risking their overexpansion and creating fossil gas lock in.”