Brussels, 4 March 2020. GasNaturally welcomes the European Commission’s Climate Law initiative and believes it represents an excellent opportunity to demonstrate the key role of natural, renewable and decarbonised gas in achieving the EU’s decarbonisation goal in a cost-effective manner across multiple sectors, including energy-intensive ones.

The gas industry represented by GasNaturally considers that gas has a central role in achieving immediate greenhouse gas (GHG) reductions across multiple sectors (heating, transport, power generation, heavy industry) and is actively working on the immediate deployment of new gases and innovative gas technologies. A fast switch from coal to gas wherever possible and a significant upscale of renewable and decarbonised gases on and off the grid are the main solutions to reaching the European GHG reduction objectives in a cost-effective manner, while cutting emissions from several sectors, including those that are energy-intensive.

GasNaturally believes that a hybrid energy infrastructure and sector coupling, building on the strengths of both the gas and electricity networks, will represent the basis of a decarbonised EU energy system. Achieving the European emission targets can rely on existing gas infrastructures, that will continue playing a key role in transporting and storing renewable and decarbonised gases, including hydrogen, to meet demand from the power, industry, residential, heating, road and marine transportation sectors.

GasNaturally President Marco Alverà stated: “In order to enable the long-term delivery of the objectives enshrined in the European Climate Law and to facilitate the EU’s position of global innovation leader, GasNaturally calls for expanding research, development and implementation projects for technologies with demonstrable GHG-reduction potential. Such technologies include the production of hydrogen through power-to-gas and gas reformation with CCUS, or biogas, biomethane, and bioLPG deployment. Ensuring that renewable and decarbonised gases have access to an appropriate commercial framework including an EU blueprint for Guarantees of Origin, a Well-to- Wheel dimension for gas as transport fuel, and market-based support mechanisms will also be essential.”

Press contact: Barbara Cooreman, info@gasnaturally.eu, +32 (0) 2 588 2335

GasNaturally is a partnership of seven associations from across the whole gas value chain - Eurogas, Gas Infrastructure Europe (GIE), European Gas Research Group (GERG), International Association of Oil and Gas Producers (IOGP), International Gas Union (IGU), the Technical Association of the European Natural Gas Industry (MARCOGAZ) and Natural & Biogas Vehicle Association (NGVA Europe). Our members are involved in gas exploration and production, transmission, distribution, wholesale and retail operations, as well as gas in transport.

E: info@gasnaturally.eu T: +32 (0) 2 588 2335