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With the official adoption of amendments to the Gas Directive and Gas Regulation, the European Council and European Parliament have now established uniform EU regulations on the structure of the methane and hydrogen markets.
The Fit for 55 batch of laws includes the hydrogen and decarbonised gas markets package, which updates the 2009-adopted gas regulation and directive. In order to meet the EU's decarbonisation goals, the new regulations will facilitate the transition of the energy system to low-carbon and renewable gases, particularly hydrogen.
The new gas package lays out guidelines for the natural gas market's structure and creates a solid foundation for the hydrogen market of the future. It includes particular regulations for the supply, storage, and transportation of both natural gas and hydrogen and infrastructure specifically designed for the latter.
A 10-year EU network development plan will be created by gas and hydrogen network operators.
The Council announced that member states will offer tariff discounts and incentives to facilitate their market and system integration, particularly for the emerging hydrogen market, and thereby to ensure a "just" transition. The Council claimed that "the new rules will help make the shift to renewable and low-carbon gases, in particular hydrogen, in the energy system, to achieve the EU's decarbonisation targets."
Furthermore, long-term contracts for fossil gas will no longer be signed after 2049 as part of the fossil fuel phase-out. The new regulations encourage the development of low-carbon and renewable gas, especially hydrogen, especially in coal- and carbon-intensive EU areas.
Both the directive and the regulation will now be signed and published in the EU's Official Journal.
Read more here- https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/press/press-releases/2024/05/21/fit-for-55-council-signs-off-on-gas-and-hydrogen-market-package/
