Renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBO)

The Fit for 55 legislative Proposal defines 'renewable fuels of non-biological origin’ (RFNBO) as liquid and gaseous fuels the energy content of which is derived from renewable sources other than biomass (see European Commission Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive (EU) 2018/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Directive 98/70/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the promotion of energy from renewable sources, and repealing Council Directive (EU) 2015/652, COM(2021) 557 final).

Current provisions on renewable fuels of non-biological origin under RED II are limited in scope and apply to transport only. Additionally, the RED II requires that the production of RFNBOs should be based on renewables and follow the additionality principle (Recital 90).

Fit for 55 Package established the rule that gas and electricity from renewable sources are to be considered only once for the purposes of calculating the share of gross final consumption of energy from renewable sources. Energy produced from renewable fuels of non-biological origin shall be accounted in the sector - electricity, heating and cooling or transport - where it is consumed.

The proposal included the requirement for the EU Member States to ensure that the contribution of renewable fuels of non-biological origin used for final energy and non-energy purposes was 50 % of the hydrogen used for final energy and non-energy purposes in industry by 2030. Calculation of that percentage is to be made in accordance with the new Article 22a of the RED II.

European Commission Proposal for a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council amending Directive (EU) 2018/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council, Regulation (EU) 2018/1999 of the European Parliament and of the Council and Directive 98/70/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards the promotion of energy from renewable sources, and repealing Council Directive (EU) 2015/652, COM(2021) 557 final Article 1 Amendments to Directive (EU) 2018/2001 Directive (EU) 2018/2001 is amended as follows: (1) in Article 2, the second paragraph is amended as follows: (a) point (36) is replaced by the following: ‘(36) ‘renewable fuels of non-biological origin’ means liquid and gaseous fuels the energy content of which is derived from renewable sources other than biomass;’; ... (3) Article 7 is amended as follows: (a) in paragraph 1, the second subparagraph is replaced by the following: ‘With regard to the first subparagraph, point (a), (b), or (c), gas and electricity from renewable sources shall be considered only once for the purposes of calculating the share of gross final consumption of energy from renewable sources. Energy produced from renewable fuels of non-biological origin shall be accounted in the sector - electricity, heating and cooling or transport - where it is consumed.’ ... (11) the following Article 22a is inserted: ‘Article 22a Mainstreaming renewable energy in industry 1. Member States shall endeavour to increase the share of renewable sources in the amount of energy sources used for final energy and non-energy purposes in the industry sector by an indicative average minimum annual increase of 1.1 percentage points by 2030. Member States shall include the measures planned and taken to achieve such indicative increase in their integrated national energy and climate plans and progress reports submitted pursuant to Articles 3, 14 and 17 of Regulation (EU) 2018/1999. Member States shall ensure that the contribution of renewable fuels of non-biological origin used for final energy and non-energy purposes shall be 50 % of the hydrogen used for final energy and non-energy purposes in industry by 2030. For the calculation of that percentage, the following rules shall apply: (a) For the calculation of the denominator, the energy content of hydrogen for final energy and non-energy purposes shall be taken into account, excluding hydrogen used as intermediate products for the production of conventional transport fuels. (b) For the calculation of the numerator, the energy content of the renewable fuels of non-biological origin consumed in the industry sector for final energy and non-energy purposes shall be taken into account, excluding renewable fuels of non-biological origin used as intermediate products for the production of conventional transport fuels. (c) For the calculation of the numerator and the denominator, the values regarding the energy content of fuels set out in Annex III shall be used. 2. Member States shall ensure that industrial products that are labelled or claimed to be produced with renewable energy and renewable fuels of non-biological origin shall indicate the percentage of renewable energy used or renewable fuels of non-biological origin used in the raw material acquisition and pre-processing, manufacturing and distribution stage, calculated on the basis of the methodologies laid down in Recommendation 2013/179/EU27 or, alternatively, ISO 14067:2018.’

Directive (EU) 2023/959 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 10 May 2023 amending Directive 2003/87/EC establishing a system for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Union and Decision (EU) 2015/1814 concerning the establishment and operation of a market stability reserve for the Union greenhouse gas emission trading system, Recital 68


Renewable liquid and gaseous fuels of non-biological origin and recycled carbon fuels can be important for reducing greenhouse gas emissions in sectors that are hard to decarbonise. Where recycled carbon fuels and renewable liquid and gaseous fuels of non-biological origin are produced from captured CO2 under an activity covered by this Directive, the emissions should be accounted for under that activity. To ensure that renewable fuels of non-biological origin and recycled carbon fuels contribute to greenhouse gas emission reductions, and to avoid double counting for fuels that do so, it is appropriate to explicitly extend the empowerment in Article 14(1) of Directive 2003/87/EC to the adoption by the Commission of implementing acts laying down the necessary adjustments for how to account for the eventual release of CO2, in a way that ensures that all emissions are accounted for, including where such fuels are produced from captured CO2 outside the Union, while avoiding double counting and ensuring appropriate incentives are in place for capturing emissions, taking also into account the treatment of those fuels under Directive (EU) 2018/2001.

   Regulatory chronicle

9 October 2023

20 June 2023

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1184 of 10 February 2023 supplementing Directive (EU) 2018/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council by establishing a Union methodology setting out detailed rules for the production of renewable liquid and gaseous transport fuels of non-biological origin published in the EU Official Journal

Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2023/1185 of 10 February 2023 supplementing Directive (EU) 2018/2001 of the European Parliament and of the Council by establishing a minimum threshold for greenhouse gas emissions savings of recycled carbon fuels and by specifying a methodology for assessing greenhouse gas emissions savings from renewable liquid and gaseous transport fuels of non-biological origin and from recycled carbon fuels published in the EU Official Journal

30 March 2023

Council and Parliament reach provisional deal on renewable energy directive (RED III) to raise the share of renewable energy in the EU’s overall energy consumption to 42.5% by 2030 with an additional 2.5% indicative top up that would allow to reach 45%. 

The provisional agreement provides that, among others, industry would increase their use of renewable energy annually by 1.6%. 

27 June 2022

Fit for 55 - Council agrees on higher targets for renewables