The European Commission plans to support 42 new alternative fuels infrastructure projects. The projects to receive over €424 million from the EU cover a diverse range of areas — from hydrogen refuelling stations to the electrification of airports.
The funding confirms the commission’s dedication to the goals of the European Green Deal and will be provided through the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility, a part of the Connecting Europe Facility.
Adina Vălean, the Commissioner for Transport, highlights the achievements in funding alternative fuels projects across Europe. Since 2021, the EU has allocated more than €1.3 billion via the AFIF towards projects resulting in the deployment of 26,396 electric recharging points, 202 hydrogen refuelling stations, and the electrification of 63 airports. Vălean acknowledged that the application round was successful, interpreting this as an increased interest in hydrogen and electric charging infrastructure.
The AFIF funds the roll-out of alternative fuel supply infrastructure across the EU’s trans-European network for transport. The funding from the second phase of AFIF, covering 2024 and 2025, supports the objectives stipulated in the new Regulation for the Deployment of Alternative Fuels Infrastructure and the ReFuelEU aviation and FuelEU maritime Regulations.
An ongoing AFIF call for project proposals is open for applications, with €1 billion available for the 2024-2025 duration. The first project proposal deadline is 24 September 2024. For information about the gravity of these developments for the hydrogen industry, readers can further explore the details from the source.
