On January 19 and 20, more than 70 speakers will discuss measures for achieving climate protection goals in transportation at the 23rd international conference on renewable mobility, “Fuels of the Future 2026“. The presentations and discussion panels will focus on the innovative use and technical development of renewable fuels in the mobility sector.

Marlene Mortler, chairwoman of the German Bioenergy Association (BBE), opened the two-day “Fuels of the Future” congress. The first of a total of fifteen sessions discussed climate protection targets in transport and highlighted the potential of sustainable fuels and drive technologies. Marlene Mortler emphasized that renewable fuels are the key to achieving climate targets: “Climate protection in transport can only be achieved with renewable fuels. They have an immediate effect, use existing infrastructure, and can be used in a variety of ways in the existing car fleet, heavy goods transport, aviation and shipping, as well as agriculture and forestry.”

Patrick Schnieder, Federal Minister of Transport (BMV) and patron of the conference, presented the strategies and measures of the Federal Ministry of Transport for the expansion of renewable fuels in various transport sectors in his opening speech: “From climate protection to security of supply, from innovation to growth: renewable fuels offer enormous opportunities and advantages for Germany as a business location. To take advantage of these opportunities, the federal government is pursuing a technology-neutral approach and focusing on the three pillars of “promoting, networking, and shaping.”

Jörg Hübeler, Head of Global Accounts at Neste, and Dr. Andreas Mündel, SVP Strategy & Operations Programs at DHL Group, conducted a practical assessment from an economic perspective to determine whether the political guidelines in Germany and Europe for renewable fuels are correctly defined.   “Revving up renewable fuels usage requires collaboration across the value chain, as well as strong policy support. The cooperation between Neste and DHL provides a great example of two leading companies working together on reducing emissions, while the proposed RED III implementation for Germany sends a positive signal into the market", according to Jörg Hübeler. Jörg Mündeler explained the DHL Group's perspective: “As a global logistics provider, DHL Group sees renewable fuels as key to achieving the EU's climate targets. Greater flexibility through book and claim, as well as improved incentive systems such as SAF allowances, are needed to secure investment and ensure the long-term ramp-up of SAF.“

Andreas Rade, Managing Director of Politics and Society at the German Association of the Automotive Industry (VDA), outlined the German automotive industry's path to climate-neutral mobility in his presentation: “Renewable fuels are an essential component in the defossilization of road transport. In addition to defossilizing the vehicle fleet, they are needed for the ramp-up of hydrogen mobility and vehicles that are proven to run exclusively on renewable fuels. To achieve this ramp-up, the existing potential and regulatory scope of biofuels must be strengthened.”

Philipp Artur Kienscherf, Head of Research Area at the Institute of Energy Economics at the University of Cologne, highlighted in his contribution the significance and effects of the European Emissions Trading System 2 (EU ETS 2) for renewable fuels in the EU and Germany: “The EU ETS2 is supposed to act as the central economic steering instrument for decarbonizing the transport and building sectors. There are, however, significant challenges ahead.“

More than 600 national and international participants from a total of 30 countries and 6 continents were welcomed by the five organizing associations of the German biofuel industry on the first day of the congress.