This week the European Commission published the Fit for 55 package with the aim of reducing net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55 % by 2030.
The initiative is part of the European climate law approved on 28 June, which made the climate objectives contained in the Green Deal binding.
“Radically transforming our economy and our society to build a fair, green and prosperous future“: this is the goal of the new EU legislative package to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. Fit for 55 contains a dozen proposals about climate, energy, land use, transport and taxation with the overall objective of reducing net gas emissions.
These legislative instruments, presented by the European Commission on July 14, will have to facilitate the achievement of the objectives set by EU climate legislation and profoundly transform our economy.
The package of proposals includes interlinked, linked and complementary measures that aim to accelerate reductions in greenhouse gas emissions over the next decade, by distributing responsibilities equally between different sectors and Member States and, where appropriate, providing additional support.
Fit for 55 will ensure opportunities for everyone, supporting vulnerable citizens by tackling inequality and energy poverty, and strengthening the competitiveness of European companies.
Transforming our economy and societies
Energy production and use account for 75% of EU emissions, so accelerating the transition to a greener energy system is essential. The Renewable Energy Directive will set the most ambitious target of producing 40% of our energy from renewable sources by 2030. All Member States will contribute to this and specific targets are set for the use of renewable energy in the transport sectors, heating and cooling, buildings and industry. In order to achieve climate and environmental objectives at the same time, the sustainability criteria for the use of bioenergy are strengthened and Member States must develop bioenergy support schemes in order to respect the principle of cascading use of wood biomass.
The role of hydrogen in achieving climate and energy goals
Hydrogen holds a major role in the energy transition: it marks the dawn of a new era where coal, oil and gas can be replaced by hydrogen being used as an energy vector, fuel and chemical feedstock.
The Fit for 55 package proves that hydrogen is moving from an afterthought to a central pillar of the energy system.
“The EU has come one step closer to becoming a global leader in hydrogen development. By putting targets on the use of hydrogen in industry and transport the EU stands a real chance to achieve climate objectives, create thousands of jobs and protect its industry” claimed Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, Secretary General of Hydrogen Europe.
The Fit for 55 package sets some precise targets in terms of H2, confirming what was already foreseen in last year’s European strategy, i.e. 40 GW of installed electrolysis capacity and an annual output of 10 million tons of renewable hydrogen by 2030.
Developing an EU hydrogen economy and a homegrown hydrogen industry is considered to be critical to meet the EU Green Deal objectives. The Fit for 55 package gives a significant boost to the development of the European hydrogen industry through:
- 50% target on the share of renewable hydrogen consumption in industry;
- concrete and ambitious targets for hydrogen and hydrogen derivatives in the Fuel EU maritime proposal;
- one hydrogen refuelling station available every 150 km along the TEN-T core network (enabling synergies between the TEN-T and TEN-E corridors);
- 2.6% target for renewable fuels of non-biological origin
The Secretary General of Hydrogen Europe claimed that “Fit for 55 marks the dawn of a new era and hydrogen sets the course for a new paradigm. Time is precious for the EU to reach its ambitious emission reduction objectives in just ten years. There is no time to lose – delivering on the Fit for 55 must start today!”
BaxEnergy’s solution for hydrogen production
The production of clean hydrogen requires the integration with renewable energy, so that companies can optimize the cost of production by using the energy in excess coming from renewable energy power plants. BaxEnergy is a long-term expert in delivering monitoring systems for renewable energy and is able to interconnect data in real-time: through an Energy Management System that can exchange information with power plants, companies can be be aware, at each moment, of how much energy power plants are generating, so that they can use it to produce green hydrogen.
The Energy Management System works as an intelligent central brain capable to take decisions on how to utilize energy, consuming it or storing it when the market price is low, selling it when the price is high as well as producing clean hydrogen when power plants are overproducing.