Sustainable mobility: 10 questions and answers

The European Green Deal is a commitment by EU countries to achieve climate neutrality in the European Union by 2050. To achieve this, the EU must reduce its economy-wide net greenhouse gas emissions by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels.

The European Green Deal commits EU countries to achieving climate neutrality in the European Union by 2050

In turn, the transport sector will have to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2050 (again compared to 1990 levels).

Transport accounts for around 5% of EU GDP and employs more than 10 million people in Europe. But it is also one of the most energy-intensive sectors and one of the most polluting, not only in our country but in Europe as a whole.

Transport is one of the sectors with the highest energy demand, and one of the most polluting in Spain and Europe

In fact, emissions from transport account for around 25% of the EU’s total greenhouse gas emissions.

The main benefits of sustainable mobility includes the reduction of pollution, which is of great value in the fight against climate change; the creation of new jobs in the manufacture, maintenance and repair of environmentally friendly vehicles; the development of sustainable charging infrastructures; and the evolution towards more sustainable and greener cities, with less asphalt and more recreational areas.

According to the UN, air pollution causes more than 8 million deaths a year worldwide. Reducing motor vehicle traffic will therefore contribute to reducing mortality from several diseases, including lung cancer, respiratory diseases, stroke, etc

According to the UN, air pollution causes more than 8 million deaths worldwide each year

As part of the European Green Deal, the European Commission’s “Towards Zero Pollution” Action Plan aims to reduce the number of premature deaths from air pollution by at least 55% by 2030 compared to 2005, focusing on PM 2.5 particles (very small airborne particles).

The use of this renewable gas is expected to meet the target of 1% of non-biological fuels in the automotive sector by 2030, as set out in the Network III Directive. Based on 2023 data, this 1% corresponds to 98,000 tonnes of renewable hydrogen.

The recent update of the NIECP 2030 also recognises the important role that renewable hydrogen or so-called hydrogen carriers such as methanol or ammonia will play in the decarbonisation of heavy road transport in the medium and long term.

The IEA expects a rapid growth of hydrogen in road transport to 60 Kt in 2023 (+55% per year, mainly due to its use in heavy-duty transport) with 93,000 fuel cell vehicles worldwide.

Specifically, Spain has defined its objectives in this area in the Hydrogen Roadmap for 2030 in land transport, which is based, among other things, on:

• 100-150 hydrogen stations by 2030.
• Between 150-200 hydrogen buses.
• Between 5,000-7,500 vehicles for transporting goods.

Renewable hydrogen could decarbonise 80% of maritime shipping ‘A Pathway to Decarbonise the Shipping Sector by 2050’ published by the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).

Renewable hydrogen could decarbonise 80% of today’s international shipping

Mechanisms for action also include the development of emerging technologies such as renewable fuels based on hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, bio-LPG or synthetic fuels.

Similarly, at European level, the FuelEU Maritime Regulation foresees a 2% reduction in emission intensity by 2025, rising to 80% by 2050.

The application of renewable hydrogen for maritime transport will not only include the use of fuel cells on ships, but also the machinery used in ports and cargo terminals. The IEA agrees that hydrogen-based fuels will play a significant role from 2030 onwards.

According to the latest Bloomberg Energy Outlook, aviation will be the world’s largest mobility sector using hydrogen by 2050, accounting for about 25% of global demand.

The European RefuelEU Aviation regulation commits the sector to using 2% sustainable fuels in aviation by 2025, rising to 70% by 2050. This will make it possible to achieve the target of an 80% reduction in emissions intensity.

For aviation, renewable fuels of non-biological origin (hydrogen and derivatives) represent a very promising decarbonisation alternative in the medium and long term.

For hydrogen to become a reality in transport, it is necessary to develop an ecosystem that includes infrastructures to link supply and consumption points.

Among these infrastructures, hydrogen stations will be very important, as they will enable the supply of hydrogen to vehicles and contribute significantly to the decarbonisation of the transport sector, which is one of the largest emitters of CO2. The number of hydrogen refuelling stations has reached 1,200 in the first half of 2024, of which about 25% are located in Europe.

A hydrogen transmission network will also be essential for the development of a competitive hydrogen market and for Spain and Europe to be able to count on truly sustainable mobility.

In this case, our country will have the Spanish Hydrogen Backbone, promoted by Enagás as the provisional hydrogen transmission network operator (HTNO), and the first European hydrogen corridor, called H2med, which Spain is promoting together with Portugal, France and Germany.

Spain will have a Spanish Hydrogen Backbone and the first European hydrogen corridor

Both projects will be crucial for the development of a competitive hydrogen market and will position Spain and Europe at the forefront of sustainable mobility.

Renewable hydrogen is a key energy vector of the NIECP 2030, as this plan considers its production essential to decarbonise industrial sectors that are difficult to electrify, as well as heavy and long-distance transport in particular.

The plan calls for the installation of 12 GW of electrolysers to produce green hydrogen, tripling the previous target of 4 GW. It also increases the penetration of renewable fuels in transport to 17% by 2030, an eightfold increase on the 2% envisaged in the plan published in 2021.

The versatility of renewable hydrogen makes it an essential vector for the energy transition and, in particular, for more sustainable mobility.