European Boating Industry (EBI) has launched its new roadmap, “Energy Transition for Recreational Boating in Europe: A roadmap for alternative fuel infrastructure”, setting out practical industry and policy recommendations to support the decarbonisation of recreational boating and the development of marina infrastructure across Europe.
The roadmap highlights the need for a technology-neutral and multi-pathway approach to the energy transition, recognising the diversity of Europe’s recreational boating fleet of more than 6.5 million vessels and the operational realities of marinas across coastal and inland waters.
While recreational boating accounts for approximately 0.4% of EU transport greenhouse gas emissions, the sector is proactively contributing to Europe’s climate objectives and preparing for the transition towards sustainable propulsion solutions.
The roadmap identifies marinas as central enablers of the transition and calls for coordinated action between industry, marina operators, EU institutions, national authorities, and regional stakeholders. It highlights the importance of ensuring infrastructure readiness keeps pace with rapidly evolving propulsion technologies.
Philip Easthill, Secretary-General of European Boating Industry, said: “The recreational boating sector is committed to contributing to Europe’s energy transition. Our roadmap shows that the solutions are being developed and a multi-pathway approach is the way forward. Europe’s diverse boating ecosystem requires a pragmatic and technology-neutral approach supported by the right infrastructure, investment, and regulatory framework.
We look forward to presenting the Roadmap to the EU institutions and cooperating with all players to make progress in the coming years to support sustainability and competitiveness of the sector.”
The roadmap highlights the immediate potential of sustainable drop-in fuels such as Hydrotreated Vegetable Oil (HVO), which can already be used in most existing diesel engines without requiring significant modifications or new infrastructure. HVO can reduce lifecycle CO₂ emissions by up to 90% compared to fossil diesel while also reducing particulate and NOx emissions.
At the same time, electric propulsion and hybrid systems are expanding rapidly, particularly for smaller boats and inland waterways, while future opportunities linked to hydrogen and methanol continue to be explored for larger vessels.
The roadmap aligns with the objectives of the EU Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP) and the Industrial Maritime Strategy, which highlighted the position of recreational boating and marina infrastructure within Europe’s broader transport and maritime policy framework. The STIP acknowledged the unique challenges and innovation potential in adopting clean propulsion, electrification, and a wide scope of renewable fuels for the sector’s decarbonisation pathway.
EBI calls for targeted support measures, investment tools, and innovation funding to help marinas and the recreational boating sector contribute to Europe’s decarbonisation and competitiveness objectives.
The publication also stresses the economic realities facing Europe’s estimated 10–20,000 marinas, many of which are SMEs or municipally operated facilities with limited capacity for major infrastructure investments.
Roadmap is available here
