Minister O'Brien publishes Alternative Fuels for Transport Working Group 2024 Report
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From: Department of Transport
- Published on: 25 March 2025
- Last updated on: 30 March 2025
Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien today published the 2024 Report of the inter-departmental Alternative Fuels for Transport Working Group. The report sets out recommendations for further coordinated action on alternative fuels, which have potential to contribute to decarbonisation, and to increase renewable energy and energy efficiency savings in the transport sector in Ireland.
The Working Group established in 2023 aims to promote visibility, coordination and alignment of policy and action concerning alternative fuels in transport. The Group brings together officials from key government departments and agencies with interconnected responsibility concerning climate and energy policy related to alternative fuels with an end-use in transport. The scope encompasses the full range of alternative fuel types – zero-emission, renewable fuels (bioliquids, biogas and renewable fuels of non-biological origin), and low-carbon fuels. Several other subject matter and industry experts, including international energy experts, also participated in the Working Group.
Among the priority actions under consideration by the Working Group over 2024 was the draft National Planning Framework (NPF) delivering on requirements of the EU Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation, and the progress of the working groups supporting the Renewable Transport Fuel Policy. The Working Group also gave focus to key challenges in the transport sector concerning decarbonisation of fuels in the harder-to-abate sectors of road freight, maritime and aviation.
The recommendations and next steps set out in the report will further these themes and objectives in 2025, aligned to the priorities set out in the Programme for Government, and continuing to deliver on the ambition of the Climate Action Plan and EU Fit for 55.
Commenting on the Report, Minister O’Brien said:
“Given the variety of policies, regulations and support programmes in place to promote the use of alternative fuels for transport, there is a need to ensure policy coherence across the transport sector generally and focus government interventions to ensure optimal delivery of policy objectives, both nationally and internationally.
“This will involve diversity of energy pathways, including renewable electricity and electrification of transport and renewable fuels. The Programme for Government commits to increasing renewable energy and to support continued action on the use of alternative fuels in the transport sector, with co-benefits in other economic sectors. This includes supporting the decarbonisation of road freight and commercial coaches with fuels such as Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), hydrogen, and biomethane as well as developing a National Sustainable Aviation Fuel Policy Roadmap.
“Over the coming year my department, through this Alternative Fuels for Transport Working Group, will build upon the work in 2024 to further promote visibility, coordinate and align policy and action concerning alternative fuels in transport in Ireland. I look forward to seeing the progress that can be made to further these objectives in the report to me at the end of 2025.”
The report is available on the Department of Transport website at gov.ie - Alternative Fuels for Transport Working Group.