The Dutch government is facing mounting pressure from across the transport industry to reverse plans to block mass balancing via the terminal route in its RED III transport rules.
In a letter to the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management, a coalition of 30 organisations — spanning shipowners, ports, fuel suppliers and logistics firms — argued that mass balancing is essential to bring renewable gases into the transport sector at scale.
The mechanism allows green gas imported through the grid to be liquefied at LNG terminals and still count towards renewable fuel targets. While Germany and Belgium already apply this approach, the Dutch draft regulation would prohibit it.
“To our great disappointment, we have learned of the intention to exclude the import of green gas via the gas network, and liquefaction through LNG terminals, from being counted toward renewable fuel targets in transport,” the signatories wrote.
Supporters of the letter include Titan Clean Fuels, the Royal Association of Netherlands Shipowners, the Port of Rotterdam, Gate terminal B.V., Van Oord, Anthony Veder, Hapag-Lloyd AG, Shell, Molgas and Spliethoff.
The industry argues the terminal route is “a sustainable, cost-efficient, verifiable, and scalable way” of delivering bio-LNG and e-LNG, providing immediate emissions reductions for shipping and heavy road transport. Without it, they warn, investment will dry up and progress toward the 2030 target of cutting CO₂ emissions by 55% will be “jeopardised.”
