Use of cleaner and alternative fuels (CSI 037) - Assessment published Sep 2010

Indicator definition

Shares of low and zero sulphur fuels, and biofuels in total fuel consumption by road transport (in % of fuels sold for transport purposes). The shares of low and zero sulphur petrol and diesel are calculated by dividing the consumption of each fuel by the total fuel consumption of petrol and diesel respectively. The share of biofuels is based on their energy content and is thus calculated by dividing the energy consumption of biofuels by the energy consumption of all petrol and diesel sold for transport purposes.

Units

Petrol and diesel fuels are measured in millions of liters and presented as shares of regular, <50 ppm sulphur and <10 ppm sulphur, respectively.

Final energy consumption of biofuels, diesel and gasoline for transport are measured in Terajoules net calorific values (NCV) and presented as a percentage of biofuels to the sum of all three fuels.

Policy context and targets

Context description

In April 2009, Directive 2009/30/EC was adopted which revises the Fuel Quality Directive [Directive 98/70/EC]. It amends a number of elements of the petrol and diesel specifications as well as introducing in Article 7a a requirement on fuel suppliers to reduce the greenhouse gas intensity of energy supplied for road transport (Low Carbon Fuel Standard). Fuel suppliers must reduce emissions by 6-10 % by 2020 (relative to 2010 fossil fuels). In addition the Directive establishes sustainability criteria that must be met by biofuels if they are to count towards the greenhouse gas intensity reduction obligation. Progress against the FQD target will be evaluated once annual progress reporting begins in 2012.

The Renewable Energy Directive 2009/28/EC (that repeals the previous 2003/30/EC) establishes a common framework for the promotion of energy from renewable sources. Under this directive, the share of renewable in transport rises to a minimum 10 % in every Member State in 2020.

It had been expected that the 10% target would be met primarily through biofuels. However there are growing concerns regarding the issue of indirect land use change (ILUC), which may substantially reduce the greenhouse gas emissions savings associated with the use of biofuels produced from crops used for food or feed. In October 2012 the European Commission published a proposal to limit to 5 % the use of food-based biofuels to meet the 10 % renewable energy target of the Renewable Energy Directive. In this case, non-crop-based second generation biofuels would therefore be needed alongside greater use of renewable electricity in transport.

Member States are required to report to the Commission annually on (1) the measures taken to promote the use of biofuels or other renewable fuels to replace diesel or petrol for transport purposes, (2) the national resources allocated to the production of biomass for energy uses other than transport, and (3) the total sales of transport fuel and the share of biofuels, pure or blended, and other renewable fuels placed on the market for the preceding year.

Low carbon sustainable fuels in aviation are to reach 40 % by 2050 and EU CO2 emissions of maritime bunker fuels are to be reduced 40 % (if feasible 50 %) by 2050 compared to 2005 levels. (EC, 2011a). It should be possible to monitor aviation fuel and maritime bunker fuels via GHG reporting for bunkers under the United Nations Framework on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Fuel suppliers are to reduce emissions of GHGs by between 6 % and 10 % by 2020 relative to 2010 fossil fuels (Fuel Quality Directive, 2009/30/EC).

Targets

EU legislation requires the reduction of the sulphur content of fuels to below 10 mg/kg (zero sulphur fuels) by 2009. This Directive 2009/28 requires that by 2020 the EU’s fuel consumption should have a 10 % share of renewables in the transport sector.

The Renewable Energy Directive (RED, 2009/28/EC) set a target for all Member States to reach a 10 % share of renewable energy in transport by 2020.

The White Paper (EC, 2011) provides objectives for decarbonising transport fuels in aviation and shipping, i.e.: “Low carbon sustainable fuels in aviation to reach 40 % by 2050; also by 2050 reduce emissions from maritime bunker fuels by 40 % (if feasible 50 %) compared to 2005 levels.” In both sectors it would be anticipated that the majority of these targets would need to be met through the utilisation of sustainable biofuels.

There are no specific targets for the percentage of the vehicle fleet that use alternative fuels, but the European Commission aims for European cities to be free of conventionally fuelled cars by 2050.

Related policy documents

• 443/2009
  Regulation (ec) no 443/2009 of the European parliament and of the Council setting emission performance standards for new passenger cars as part of the community's integrated approach to reduce CO2 emissions from light-duty vehicles.
• COM (2004) 310 final. Quality of gasoline & diesel fuel used for road transport in the EU - 1st annual report
• COM(97) 599 final. Energy for the future.
  Energy for the future: Renewable sources of energy. White Paper for a Community strategy and action plan. COM(97) 599 final.
• COM(2005) 69 final. Quality of petrol and diesel fuel used for road transport in the European Union - Second annual report (Reporting year 2003)
• COM(2006) 186 final. Quality of petrol and diesel fuel used for road transport in the European Union - Third annual report (Reporting year 2004)
• COM(2007) 617 final. Quality of petrol and diesel fuel used for road transport in the European Union - Fourth annual report (Reporting year 2005)
• Directive 98/70/EC relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels
  Directive 98/70/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 1998 relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels, amended by Directive 2003/17/EC   of the European Parliament and of the Council of 3 March 2003 [Official Journal L 76 of 22.03.2003]
• DIRECTIVE 2003/17/EC
  It amends the Directive 98/70/EC relating to the quality of petrol and diesel fuels
• Directive 2003/30/EC, use of biofuels and renewable fuels
  Promotion of the use of biofuels and other renewable fuels for transport. Directive 2003/30/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 8 May 2003 on the promotion of the use of biofuels and other renewable fuels for transport.
• DIRECTIVE 2009/28/EC
  DIRECTIVE 2009/28/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 23 April 2009 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources and amending and subsequently repealing Directives 2001/77/EC and 2003/30/EC
• DIRECTIVE 2009/30/EC
  DIRECTIVE 2009/30/EC OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 23 April 2009 amending Directive 98/70/EC as regards the specification of petrol, diesel and gas-oil and introducing a mechanism to monitor and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and amending Council Directive 1999/32/EC as regards the specification of fuel used by inland waterway vessels and repealing Directive 93/12/EEC
• Strategy to reduce atmospheric emissions from seagoing ships
  Communication from the Commission to the European Parliament and the Council, of 20 November 2002, "A European Union strategy to reduce atmospheric emissions from seagoing ships" [ COM (2002) 595 final, Volume I - Not published in the Official Journal].

Methodology

Methodology for indicator calculation

The shares of low and zero sulphur petrol and diesel (in percentage) are calculated by dividing the consumption of each fuel (in tonnes) by the total fuel consumption of petrol and diesel respectively.

The share of biofuels (in percentage) is based on their energy content and is thus calculated by dividing its energy consumption (in tonnes of oil equivalent) by total energy consumption including petrol and diesel.

Methodology for gap filling

Methodology for extrapolation:

The final energy consumption time series contains an extrapolation to the latest available year (2010). The primary Eurostat dataset does not extend to 2010, so an extrapolation was made based on Eurostat monthly data on supply and transformation of oil-based products. The following assumptions were used:

• Maritime bunker final energy consumption was assumed to correlate with internal market deliveries of maritime bunker fuels;
• Road transport final energy consumption was assumed to correlate with an energy-weighted combination of internal market deliveries of motor gasoline and transport diesel;
• Aviation final energy consumption was assumed to correlate with internal market deliveries of kerosene – jet fuel.

 Using these assumptions, final energy consumption in 2010 was extrapolated by the formula:

[Final energy consumption 2010] = [Final energy consumption 2009] * [Internal market deliveries 2010] / [Internal market deliveries 2009]

For other modes, final energy consumption was assumed to remain a constant in proportion to the sum of the above three modes. It is recognised that this is a very crude assumption, however the remaining modes account for less than 5% of the total final energy consumption in all recent years.

Methodology references

• Concepts used in Eurostat's Sirene database
• Eurostat's web page for data and metadata on transport statistics
• Concepts used in Eurostat's transport database
• Eurostat's web page for metadata on energy statistics
• Methodologies for estimating air pollutants from transport - Emissions factors for future road vehicles. Laboratory for Applied Thermodynamics (LAT). Thessaloniki, December 1998.  
• Newly created MethodologyReference

Uncertainties

Methodology uncertainty

No uncertainty has been specified

Data sets uncertainty

The data are collected on an annual basis by the European Commission and can thus be considered reliable and accurate. The requirement for the data collection for low and zero sulphur fuels and biofuels is mandatory and thus the results are harmonised at the EU level.

Rationale uncertainty

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