A selection of NGOs and companies addressed Brussels with a joint letter calling for the bloc’s renewable fuels of non-biological origin (RFNBO) rules to remain, arguing they will maintain certainty for producers, offtakers, and investors.

The letter pressed the EU to refrain from accelerating a review into RFNBO requirements currently scheduled for 2028 – before the regulation’s requirements of hourly matching come into play in 2030.

“An early revision would adversely affect early adopters and undermine legal certainty,” the letter signed by the likes of Environmental Defense Fund and Norsk e-Fuel stated.

Current RFNBO criteria require electrolyser operators to source renewable power from new, unsubsidised renewable assets located in the same grid zone and match operation on a monthly basis.

The group argued these rules ensure green hydrogen production does not redirect green electrons away from the grid, and warned changes to them could undermine the climate benefits of the energy carrier.

It plays to the heart of debates in the European hydrogen sector. While most agree the RFNBO rules should be the endpoint, many have warned that they are stifling deployments by driving up costs due to low plant usage.

However, the letter claimed an early review could erode the “trust and investment appetites” of market players and increase legal ambiguity for projects already planned and financed under current rules.

Acknowledging a study currently in progress, the letter asked the EU to await its results, consider the core objectives of RFNBO legislation, and act according only to robust empirical evidence.