The European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE) on Thursday adopted its position on two legislative acts to facilitate access to the grid for renewable and low-carbon gases, such as biomethane and hydrogen.
According to the European Parliament’s announcement, the legislation would ensure that consumers can switch suppliers more easily to choose renewable and low-carbon gases over fossil fuels.
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“The European Parliament allows - in contrast to the Commission’s proposal - more certainty for investments in hydrogen infrastructure based on the existing natural gas grid, instead of imposing restrictions on investment. We call for gas, hydrogen and electricity infrastructure to be planned jointly to better coordinate energy systems in the future,” said Jens Geier, rapporteur on one of the acts, a directive.
MEPs propose to reform the European Network of Transmission System Operators for Gas (ENTSOG) to also cover hydrogen network operators and become responsible for the EU 10-year network development plan for gas and hydrogen networks.
“The age of hydrogen is coming. To make it happen in the EU, we need a stable and well-balanced regulatory framework, financial support as well as investments in new infrastructure. With this legislation, we are preparing it,” said Jerzy Buzek, rapporteur on the second act, a regulation.
Hydrogen Europe, a hydrogen industry association, described ITRE’s adopted position as encouraging. It said that compared to the European Commission's own proposal, the ITRE committee provides an improved approach to unbundling with simplified rules for operators to repurpose existing transmission and distribution pipelines for hydrogen.
“The position adopted today by ITRE members is a big step towards the establishment of hydrogen as a traded commodity and as a crucial energy carrier in the campaign for net zero. It is now up to the Council to develop its general approach in line with the ambition of MEPs and industry, and to shore up all remaining issues in this important legislative package,” said Hydrogen Europe chief executive Jorgo Chatzimarkakis.
Hydrogen Europe called on policymakers to be cautious when imposing excessive conditions on hydrogen pipelines without considering the different usages of hydrogen transported and to ensure exemptions for existing hydrogen networks and independence on the governance of hydrogen infrastructure planning and network codes.
Environmental group Greenpeace, on the other hand, said the MEPs voting means that the fossil gas industry will get the power to write hydrogen network rules.
“This is like letting the foxes design the hen houses in the first place. Not only do major polluters already have the pen to write the rules for fossil gas, the EU Parliament’s energy committee has now handed over management of a loophole-filled future hydrogen network, so gas companies can greenwash their activities,” commented Greenpeace EU climate and energy campaigner Silvia Pastorelli.
Andrijko Z./CC BY-SA 4.0
