Eurogas and 44 co-signatories are warning that proposed changes to EU sustainability certification rules could undermine liquefaction by equivalence, a key pathway used to supply bioLNG and eLNG to ships via existing LNG infrastructure.

BioLNG and eLNG are among the few renewable fuels already compatible with current LNG-fuelled vessels and infrastructure, with demand rising sharply as shipping companies work to meet FuelEU Maritime and EU ETS requirements. Terminal operators Fluxys and Enagás both reported strong growth in bioLNG volumes in 2025.

However, co-signatories warn that the changes considered for sustainability certification rules could impact how emissions are allocated within renewable gas supply chains, allocating fossil LNG supply-chain emissions to bioLNG and eLNG supplied through the mass-balance system, even though those emissions are not part their supply chains. According to the coalition, this would make the system unviable, reducing renewable fuels availability for shipping, increasing compliance costs for ship operators and weakening investment in biomethane and e-methane production across Europe.

The signatories are calling on the European Commission to ensure that emissions allocated to bioLNG and eLNG supplied through this pathway reflect the actual climate impact of the underlying biomethane and e-methane supply chains. They argue that this would preserve an established pathway for supplying renewable fuels to shipping while maintaining robust sustainability standards.

Andreas Guth, Secretary General of Eurogas, said: “Renewable fuels are central to the decarbonisation efforts of European shipping. Restricting a proven pathway for supplying bioLNG and eLNG under the proposed certification changes risk reducing fuel availability and penalising shipping companies that rely on these fuels to meet FuelEU Maritime requirements.”

Nikos Mertzanidis, Executive Director at CLIA in Europe said, “Cruise lines require secure, scalable, and cost-competitive access to renewable fuels to decarbonise their fleets. BioLNG is already being used in commercial operations using existing vessels and infrastructure. Any disruption to fuel supply could create additional challenges for shipping companies to reach net-zero.”

John Cosmo Dwelle, Managing Director at Anew Climate Europe, said: “Efficient certification systems are vital to connect renewable gas producers with maritime demand. Liquefaction by equivalence is a proven, scalable pathway using existing infrastructure, and removing it would constrain Bio-LNG supply as well as the wider biomethane market at a critical juncture, risking investment, energy security, and the pace of shipping decarbonization. The sector needs continuity, not disruption.”

Rafik Ammar, Policy Director at e-NG Coalition, said: “The maritime sector has the vessels, the demand and the ambition to decarbonise with bio-LNG and e-LNG today. However, attributing the carbon footprint of fossil LNG to renewable pathways creates an unnecessary barrier to the uptake of the very fuels Europe needs. Liquefaction by equivalence is already proven in practice; what is needed now is a regulatory framework that properly recognises and enables this approach.”

Source: Eurogas