On 1 January 2026, the Netherlands introduced the Fuel Transition Obligation (Brandstoftransitieverplichting, BTV) as part of the implementation of the European Renewable Energy Directive (RED III). Under this new system, fuel suppliers are required to achieve progressively greater reductions in CO₂-equivalent emissions from the energy they supply to the transport sector. Inland waterway transport is now also subject to its own emissions reduction obligation.
Commissioned by Topsector Logistiek, CE Delft investigated what the transition from the HBE system to the ERE system means for inland waterway transport. The study shows that the new system is driving the sector’s transition to more sustainable fuels, but that it also has short-term implications for the price and availability of hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO).
Objective
This study identifies the differences between the HBE and ERE systems and analyses their implications for inland waterway transport. It examines the use of renewable fuels, fuel suppliers’ decisions, the business case for HVO, potential implications for modal shift and the wider energy transition in inland waterway transport.
For further information, see the Topsector Logistiek website.