Alcogroup SA
Alcogroup
Alcogroup SA is a Belgian privately held company headquartered in Brussels.
ID: 581142594279-09
Lobbying Activity
Response to EU industrial maritime strategy
28 Jul 2025
Alcogroup welcomes the opportunity to contribute to the ongoing consultation on the EU maritime policy, and more especially in the context of the FuelEU Maritime Regulation. We would like to draw your attention to a critical inconsistency in the regulatory treatment of conventional (crop based) ethanol across transport sectors. Under the current FuelEU Maritime framework, conventional ethanol is effectively considered as emitting CO on par with the most polluting fossil fuels. As a result, this highly sustainable and renewable fuel is excluded from the range of eligible solutions to decarbonize maritime transport in Europe. This regulatory stance is in stark contrast with EU policy in the road transport sector, where conventional ethanol is recognized as a renewable fuel and contributes to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reductions under the Renewable Energy Directive (RED II) according to which at least a 50% saving is needed. In the case of Alcogroup the emission savings are almost 100% without any adverse impact on food/feed prices or availability based on reporting of the EU Commission itself. Despite the 7% cap for crop-based biofuels in road transport, conventional ethanol remains an accepted and valuable component of the EUs transition to cleaner mobility. The divergent treatment of ethanol between the maritime and road transport sectors lacks clear justification. It sends a contradictory signal to the market and undermines the credibility and consistency of the EUs climate and energy policies. Furthermore, the upcoming global CO footprint reduction obligations under the International Maritime Organization (IMO) will require shipowners worldwide to significantly reduce their emissions. In this context, if European regulations restrict the use of conventional biofuels like ethanol, shipowners will have a strong incentive to refuel outside the EU, where more cost-effective renewable fuels are permitted like ethanol produced from agricultural crops. The choice between expensive advanced biofuels in Europe and more affordable conventional biofuels elsewhere is likely to drive decarbonization efforts away from European ports and shipowners. This would be a missed opportunity for the EU to play a leading role in global maritime decarbonization and would come at the expense of the European shipping and renewable fuel industries. We therefore strongly urge the European Commission to align the FuelEU Maritime Regulation with the approach taken in road transport by allowing the use of conventional ethanol provided it meets RED sustainability criteria as a valid option in the maritime sector. Such a measure would be coherent with EU climate goals and would support the development of a competitive, innovation-driven European bioeconomy.
Read full responseResponse to COMMISSION DELEGATED REGULATION on extending the scope of traceability of the Union database
5 Nov 2024
Please find Alcogroup's feedback in the attached Word file. Many thanks and best regards Yves Annoye
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