Industry bodies Hydrogen Europe and the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (Acea) have expressed concerns over the state of discussions on the EU’s Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (Afir).

The EU is legislating on the issue in the Afir proposal as part of its ‘Fit for 55’ package. Trialogue talks between the European Commission, the Council of the EU and the European Parliament are underway and will be concluded by next week.

The initial proposal from the European Commission set a target for the Trans-European Transport Network (Ten-T) to have a refuelling station every 150km for compressed hydrogen and every 450km for the liquefied form of the fuel.

2t/d – Volume hydrogen refuelling stations should be able to dispense

This was revised by the European Parliament to be one refuelling station every 100km for compressed hydrogen on both Ten-T core and comprehensive networks, and one station for liquid hydrogen every 400km.

Parliament also reached a position that there should be at least one 700 bar dispenser on each hydrogen refuelling station and at least one station in each urban node. Stations should be able to dispense 2t/d of hydrogen. Infrastructure on core networks and in urban nodes should be in place by 31 December 2027.

But these targets are in danger of being diluted in negotiations with the Council on the final shape of the law, say the industry bodies, as the general approach of the Council is for targets closer to the Commission’s proposal.

Hitting targets

Ahead of the publication of the Afir proposal in the Fit for 55 package, Acea published an interactive map that recommended setting an EU-wide minimum target of around 300 truck‐suitable hydrogen refuelling stations by 2025 and at least 1,000 no later than 2030.

“With the current targets in the Council position being set so low, these minimum demands for the rollout of hydrogen-powered heavy-duty vehicles and other vehicle segments would not be achieved,” says a letter to lawmakers from Acea and Hydrogen Europe.

The Council also does not want to set specific targets for hydrogen refuelling stations in urban nodes.

“This would effectively require owners and fleet operators of hydrogen-fuelled vehicles to travel significant distances to hydrogen refuelling station close to the Ten-T network to refuel their vehicles,” says the letter. “This will severely limit the market uptake of hydrogen-powered vehicles.”

The Ten-T network only includes major roads.

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Author: Tom Young