EU invests €600 million to accelerate multi-modal decarbonisation infrastructure across Europe

The European Union is intensifying its commitment to decarbonising transport and accelerating the transition to zero-emission mobility through a substantial injection of over €600 million into 70 projects across 24 member states. These initiatives, funded under the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility (AFIF) as part of the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), aim to develop and expand the critical infrastructure for alternative fuels along the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T).

According to the European Commission’s announcement, the projects cover a broad spectrum of transport modes, including road, maritime, inland waterways, and air, reflecting a comprehensive approach that extends well beyond the road transport sector, which has historically garnered the lion’s share of attention. The funded projects encompass the deployment of electric vehicle recharging stations, hydrogen refuelling points, as well as facilities for electricity supply and bunkering of ammonia and methanol in ports, all designed to facilitate the shift towards greener transport energy sources.

Notably, the support includes the installation of over 1,000 charging points with a capacity of 150 kW intended for passenger cars and light commercial vehicles, 2,000 charging points rated at 350 kW for heavy commercial vehicles, and an additional 586 ultra-fast charging points delivering up to 1 MW. Hydrogen infrastructure is also being bolstered with the installation of 38 hydrogen filling stations targeting cars, trucks, and buses. European airports are set to benefit with funding for the electrification of ground handling services at 16 locations, underscoring the EU’s multi-modal vision for sustainable transport. Among the seaport projects, 24 ports will see enhancements that include Onshore Power Supply (OPS), electrification of port services, and ammonia bunkering facilities to power maritime vessels, although there is no direct mention of projects for electric aviation in this funding round.

German projects feature prominently among the beneficiaries, reflecting the country’s active role in the transition landscape. Munich’s Stadtwerke München will receive around €3.8 million to electrify bus transport and expand charging infrastructure. BP Europa is granted nearly €7.4 million to develop truck charging infrastructure close to the TEN-T network, with plans for ten truck charging parks each featuring multiple 1 MW chargers capable of flexible power distribution to meet varying truck demands. Frankfurt Airport operator Fraport AG will deploy around €2.5 million towards electrifying ground handling systems, including the installation of nine aircraft power supply systems, over 300 AC charging points, and a significant 10 MWh battery storage system to stabilise grid connection.

The Port of Hamburg is also advancing, with more than €4.6 million allocated to install two on-site power systems to supply electricity to up to four container ships simultaneously, contributing to maritime decarbonisation efforts. Meanwhile, the German charging station operator E-ON Drive Infrastructure (EDRI) secured €8.8 million to expand truck charging infrastructure beyond Germany, notably in Poland and Hungary, highlighting cross-border integration efforts within the TEN-T framework.

In terms of scale, the largest single grant, €61.5 million, has been awarded to the French company Voltix, which plans a massive deployment of 288 MW charging capacity for heavy-duty vehicles across 45 locations in multiple European countries, including France, Spain, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Austria, and Germany. This investment underscores the growing emphasis on electrifying heavy commercial transport, a critical component of the overall decarbonisation agenda.

EU Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas emphasised the strategic importance of these investments, stating, “We are currently supporting 70 projects with €600 million in EU funding to accelerate the deployment of alternative fuels infrastructure across Europe. These investments will strengthen our competitiveness and help make the transition to zero-emission mobility easier and more accessible for all citizens.” Paloma Aba Garrote, Director of the European Commission’s Executive Agency for Climate, Infrastructure and Environment, echoed this ambition, noting that over €2.5 billion in EU grants have already been allocated to such projects since 2021, highlighting the sustained EU drive towards making zero-emission transport a mainstream reality.

This latest round of funding builds upon earlier commitments. For instance, in early 2024, the Commission unveiled a call for proposals totalling €1 billion for alternative fuels infrastructure projects which supports the installation of high-power charging stations, hydrogen refuelling depots, and supply systems at key transport hubs. Previous rounds of funding, such as a €422 million injection into 39 projects announced in February 2025, reinforced the EU’s multi-modal approach by supporting thousands of charging points and numerous hydrogen stations across the TEN-T corridors.

There remains a clear alignment with broader EU policies, including the Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR), the ReFuelEU Aviation initiative, and the FuelEU Maritime regulation, all framing a regulatory landscape that mandates and incentivises the expansion of sustainable infrastructure. However, while maritime and airport ground service electrification feature prominently, electric aviation infrastructure has yet to materialise substantially within these funded projects, representing a future area for growth.

As project proposals continue to be evaluated, with over €1 billion reportedly requested in recent calls, these investments reflect an urgent and concerted effort by the EU to advance sustainable transport infrastructure, signalling that the future of European mobility is firmly rooted in electrification and alternative fuels across multiple sectors.

By fostering such broad and ambitious infrastructure deployment, the European Union seeks not only to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and improve air quality but also to position its transport and industrial sectors at the forefront of global innovation and competitiveness in a rapidly evolving energy landscape.