The declaration was signed by Mr Skuodis together with Dr Volker Wissing, German Federal Minister for Digital Affairs and Transport, and Taku Ishii, Japanese Parliamentary Vice-Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry.
"Every effort to contribute to climate neutrality is important and no technology should be excluded. E-fuels constitute a necessary step towards the decarbonisation of industry and transport. Lithuania, with its large renewable energy potential, should take advantage of its convenient location next to Europe’s major industrial centres by becoming a significant producer of hydrogen and related synthetic fuels. Today's signing of the Berlin e-Fuels Declaration by the three countries is expected to give an even stronger impetus to international cooperation in the development of e-fuels," said Mr Skuodis.
CO₂ nearly neutral e-fuels are becoming increasingly important across all transport modes, including aviation, shipping, logistics. Synthetic fuels, also known as e-fuels or electro fuels, are liquid or gaseous fuels produced from renewable energy sources using chemical technologies.
Wind, hydro and solar energy are already being developed at an accelerating pace in Lithuania, and renewable energy capacity is expected to triple in the near future. By 2030, Lithuania aims to become a 100% green energy country and an exporter of surplus green energy. According to Minister Skuodis, Lithuania has the potential to become a significant player in the production and transport of green fuels in Europe, by producing e-fuels in several strategic companies in the country. It also has plans to increase production capacity to ensure the development of such fuels in the transport sector.
One of the key projects in recent years has been the development of a 100-hectare site in the southern part of the Port of Klaipėda and the creation of an off-shore wind farm to generate green electricity. The Port of Klaipėda is also preparing to develop infrastructure for the production and refuelling of green fuels (hydrogen).
The Declaration highlights the aspirations of Lithuania, Germany and Japan to develop international cooperation and contacts, as well as sharing experience in the development of e-fuel infrastructure. It emphasises the need to promote the production and use of renewable energy-based fuels in all areas of transport, and the efforts to create a regulatory environment conducive to transport innovations.
The document also says that e-fuels produced from renewable energy sources have a key role to play in contributing to both the zero-emission target by 2050 and a competitive, climate-neutral economy. The development of e-fuel production and infrastructure is seen as a promising way to combat climate change.
Currently, the cost of producing synthetic fuels (e-fuels) is still higher than fossil fuels, mainly due to the cost of renewable hydrogen and CO₂ capture technologies.
