25 January 2011: The first comprehensive report on future fuels covering the whole transport sector in Europe has been released. The report was prepared by a European expert group, and concludes that alternative fuels have the potential to gradually replace fossil energy sources and make transport sustainable by 2050 in the EU.

Titled “Future Transport Fuels,” the report argues that alternative fuels are the ultimate solution to decarbonize transport, by gradually substituting fossil energy sources. It further provides that technical and economic viability, efficient use of primary energy sources and market acceptance, however, will be decisive for a competitive acquisition of market share by the different fuels and vehicle technologies. The expert group states that expected demand from all transport modes could be met through a combination of: electricity (batteries or hydrogen/fuel cells) and biofuels as main options; synthetic fuels (increasingly from renewable resources) as a bridging option; methane (natural gas and biomethane) as complementary fuel; and LPG as supplement.

As the Commission is revising existing policies, the report is expected to feed into the “initiative on clean transport systems,” to be launched later in 2011, in order to develop a consistent long-term strategy for fully meeting the energy demands of the transport sector from alternative and sustainable sources by 2050. [EC Mobility and Transport Website] [EU Press Release] [The Report on Future Transport Fuels]