Natural gas is expected to continue to play a role in Europe’s transition to a greener future despite fossil fuels having been excluded from the European Union’s funding and support deals.

The executive vice president for the European Green Deal, Frans Timmermans, warned critics in a press conference last week that gas will have to continue to play a key role in replacing coal.

“We try to steer away as much as possible from fossil fuel projects,” Timmermans said during a press briefing about the EU’s proposed recovery plan from the Covid-19 crisis.

Key role of gas

However, the EU climate chief highlighted the role of gas in the transition to a net-zero emission energy system.

“In some areas of transition, the use of natural gas will probably be necessary to shift from coal to sustainable energy... I think this is a caveat I have to add,” Timmermans said.

Natural gas emits on average 50% less carbon dioxide than coal when burned in power plants.

The comments came as last week the European Commission unveiled a €750 billion ($826 billion) economic recovery package, with a focus on “rolling out renewable energy projects, especially wind and solar, and kick-starting a clean hydrogen economy in Europe”.

The package, called “Next Generation EU”, is based around the €1 trillion European Green Deal released earlier this year, which aims to make the EU carbon-neutral by 2050.

Industry association Eurogas — representing 48 member companies in Europe, including Germany’s Wintershall Dea, Norway’s Equinor, Italy’s Eni and France’s Total — has previously called on the EU to back the potential of gas in supporting the EC’s Green Deal. The association came out in support of the EC’s latest green push.

Eurogas secretary general James Watson said: “Keeping business as usual is not possible in the post-Covid-19 world. It is time to shape the new normal, by accelerating the development and financing of clean technologies — including for the biogas, biomethane and hydrogen production.

“The EU’s support should cover all forms of renewable and decarbonised hydrogen, which would ensure the competitiveness of Europe’s industrial sector and secure high-quality jobs for Europeans,” he said.

“A green recovery package encompassing all decarbonisation options would create a momentum for innovation in Europe. It should serve as a catalyst for breakthrough in research and development for technologies like electrolysis, carbon capture and storage, pyrolysis, anaerobic digestors and LNG engines,” Watson added.

Transition to hydrogen

In addition to replacing coal in the energy mix, the EC believes Europe’s existing network of gas pipelines and LNG terminals could be used in the transition to green hydrogen.

Timmermans said repurposing existing gas networks could help reduce transition costs.

“It is important that we look at existing natural gas and LNG infrastructure to see to what extent it is already usable for hydrogen or can be adapted to the use of hydrogen,” he said.

“The more we can have dual use of infrastructure, the better it is — also to make the transition to green hydrogen affordable in the future,” he added.

Criticism

Nevertheless, environmental group Friends of the Earth Europe criticised the new package for a lack of any conditionality to prevent EU member states from directing public funds and state aid to fossil fuel companies and polluting industries without commitments to lower their climate and environmental impacts.

“The plan gives significant political support to the development of hydrogen, without stipulating that this comes from renewable electricity alone. This could open the door to more climate-damaging fossil fuels in our energy system,” the group said.

Energy Transition

Natural gas ‘will probably be necessary’ for EU’s green transition: climate chief