Enova has stopped subsidizing biogas and electric trucks. But according to a recent report by the Norwegian Environment Agency, this is the second most important climate measure for achieving Norway’s climate goals in 2030.
- Enova has stopped subsidizing biogas and electric trucks
- The Norwegian Environment Agency report shows that electrified and biogas powered trucks are important climate measures for achieving Norway’s 2030 goals
- Feiring’s group manager reacts and believes phasing out subsidies could mean more people abandoning environmental requirements
- Enova believes that biogas technology no longer needs public support, but will support biogas production instead
The Norwegian Environment Agency on Friday handed over the report “Climate measures in Norway until 2030” to the Minister of Climate and Environment, Espen Barth Eide (AP).
The directorate investigated 85 climate measures that they believe will enable Norway to reduce emissions 50% by 203050% by 2030compared to emissions in 1990..
The climate metric with the second-highest potential for greenhouse gas emissions in 2021-2030 is, according to the report, all new electric or biogas-powered trucks by 2030.
On Thursday, the deadline for submitting applications to Enova for a subsidy to buy electric and biogas-powered trucks expired.
Margaret Ohlendorf Lynn reacts to that. She is Group Manager at Feiring, which specializes in sustainable solutions within, among others, collective management and stone and asphalt.
– It doesn’t matter, you say.
Big risk
According to Lin, the purchase cost of trucks and construction machinery powered by renewable energy is two to three times higher, compared to those powered by fossil energy.
– What is happening in our market now is less work due to the lack of initiatives from the public sector and high interest rates. In addition to the weakness of the krone, which leads to higher purchase costs. When you also remove these subsidy schemes, no one can remove investment in green technology.
New filling station
In September, Feiring opened its own biogas filling station in cooperation with Gasum, and the world’s most powerful electric truck fast charging station in cooperation with Eviny.
– This expensive facility is not something we profit from ourselves, but it is absolutely necessary to increase the replacement rate towards greener mass transit.
According to the group’s manager, Feiring began to replace them with fossil-free machines. It is risky and expensive.
– We don’t know how much we can sell biogas and electric machines in the used market. In addition, we don’t know of any upcoming developments, she explains.
521 applications in May
Enova press director Eiliv Flakne confirmed that the deadline for submitting a subsidy request for biogas and electric trucks has expired on Thursday. He says they were aware of the findings in the report to the Norwegian Environment Agency.
– We believe biogas has been well introduced and the technology is mature. We support this kind of vehicles since 2018.
– Now we have been charged by the current government to prioritize support for new development and help new technologies in society, says Flackney.
From January 1, 2023 to May, Enova has issued subsidies for the purchase of 167 biogas vehicles. After they announced that support for such vehicles would stop on June 1, they received 521 new applications.
Biogas technology has come so far that it no longer needs public support, but we still want to support biogas. Now we’re focusing on production instead, says Enova’s Flakne.
Feiring group leader Margrethe Ollendorff believes that the consequence of losing support will be that more people stop prioritizing environmental requirements.
– In addition, we see that there is little incentive to use green technology in contracts, says Lien.
At Enova, we base our decisions on analytics, reports and market research. We try to use the money as best we can, but it’s the respect that not everyone agrees to, Flackney says.
– Very important
Director Øyvind Solberg Thorsen of the Road Traffic Information Board criticizes Enova’s cut in support for the phase-out of commercial vehicles using electricity or biogas.
– This applies to both heavy vehicles and vans. We don’t understand the reasoning from Enova, and we specifically believe that a well-functioning subsidy scheme is an important measure for achieving climate goals for road traffic.
He believes that the European Parliament should review Enova’s mandate again and ensure the framework conditions that will contribute to the achievement of the 2030 target in line with the recommendations in the Norwegian Environment Agency report.
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