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Eurofuel Statement: Energy security and the future of heating in Europe

Eurofuel, the European Liquid Heating Fuels Association, welcomes the European Commission’s announcement of a Strategic Dialogue on European refineries. The announcement follows the G7 Leaders’ recent discussion on energy security. It comes at a time when developments in international energy markets are once again demonstrating the importance of reliable energy supplies.

For Eurofuel, these developments highlight that Europe’s energy transition must also be an energy security strategy.

The ability to provide households and businesses with energy at predictable and affordable costs cannot be separated from the choices Europe makes about its future energy system.

This consideration is particularly important for heating. Europe has a large and diverse existing building stock, including millions of homes that rely on liquid fuels and many properties in rural and off-grid areas. The circumstances of these households are different from those of new buildings or densely populated areas with access to extensive energy infrastructure.

“The recent G7 discussion shows how quickly geopolitical developments can affect energy markets and households,” said Martin Reichard, President of Eurofuel. “For Europe’s heating sector, we need to ensure that the transition does not come at the expense of reliability or affordability. Existing and off-grid homes need practical pathways to lower their emissions, and liquid fuels can remain part of that solution as renewable alternatives become increasingly available.”

The Commission’s Strategic Dialogue offers an opportunity to consider how Europe can strengthen the foundations of its energy system while continuing to reduce emissions.

For heating, the transition does not need to rely on a single pathway. Improving the efficiency of buildings and heating systems, combining technologies through hybrid solutions, and progressively replacing fossil liquid fuels with renewable and low-carbon liquid fuels can all contribute to reducing emissions from Europe’s existing building stock.

“Europe has an opportunity to connect its short-term energy security concerns with its long-term climate objectives,” said Federica Miano, Secretary General of Eurofuel. “The policy response should recognise the reality of Europe’s existing buildings and give households access to different routes towards lower-carbon heating. Renewable liquid fuels, combined with efficiency and hybrid technologies, can provide one of these routes and should be enabled as part of a technology-neutral European framework.”

Eurofuel therefore welcomes the Commission’s initiative and the attention that the G7 has brought to energy security. The heating transition will be more resilient if it takes account of the diversity of Europe’s homes, infrastructure and energy needs.

Europe should continue to develop electrification and other solutions while also enabling renewable molecules to contribute to decarbonisation and making appropriate use of existing energy infrastructure. A technology-neutral approach can help ensure that households have access to practical solutions that support the transition towards secure, affordable and increasingly decarbonised heating.