EU sets new targets for green hydrogen use in industry and transport by 2030

The European Council has reached an agreement to increase the share of renewable energy sources (RES) in total energy consumption to 42.5% by 2030. More ambitious goals have been set for individual sectors: transport, industry, buildings, housing and communal services.

In transport, a target has been set to reduce the intensity of greenhouse gas emissions by 15% through the use of renewable energy by 2030, or a binding target to achieve at least 29% of the use of renewable energy in final energy consumption in the transport sector by 2030.

The preliminary agreement sets a sub-target to achieve a 5.5% share of the use of advanced biofuels (usually derived from non-food feedstocks) and fuels produced using renewable energy (mainly green hydrogen and hydrogen-based synthetic fuels, excluding those produced from energy obtained using biofuels) in the share of renewable energy used in the transport sector. There is a requirement that a minimum of 1% is for the latter type of fuel.

In the industrial sector, it is established that the use of renewable energy should increase by 1.6% annually. It is also agreed that 42% of the hydrogen used in industry should be green hydrogen (excluding those produced from or with the help of biofuels) by 2030 and 60% by 2035.