AFIF Calls: Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility

But how does the European Union plan to reduce GHG emissions?

To meet its climate targets, the EU launched the “Fit for 55” package in July 2021. This set of legislative initiatives is designed to adapt to the evolving situation and includes regulations related to the transport sector, which is responsible for nearly 25% of the EU’s total GHG emissions.

Illustration 1. Contribution of transport to the EU’s GHG emissions. Source: (European Council, 2024)

The main initiatives defined for the transport sector are:

• FuelEU Maritime Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2023/1805 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 September 2023).
• ReFuelEU Aviation Regulation (Regulation (EU) 2023/2405 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 18 October 2023).
• Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) (Regulation (EU) 2023/1804 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 September 2023).

To implement these legislative initiatives and achieve such ambitious targets, the European Union relies on the CEF programme—Connecting Europe Facility. And what is CEF? It is an EU funding instrument designed to support investment in infrastructure development across the Trans-European Network in the transport, energy, and digital services sectors (European Commission, 2024).

Within the transport section, the CEF programme has a total investment budget of €25.8 billion for the 2021–2027 period to support transport infrastructure projects (European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency, 2024).

The AFIF calls—Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility—were launched under this programme. The 2024 call is currently open, with a budget of €1 billion for projects aimed at developing alternative fuels supply infrastructure along the Trans-European Transport Network (TEN-T). Of this, €780 million is allocated to the general call, while the remaining €220 million is reserved for projects in countries eligible for Cohesion Fund support (European Commission, n.d.).

What does the CEF-AFIF grant fund?

The EU provides funding for the development of transport infrastructure, and one of the most relevant questions is what types of projects are eligible for support under the CEF-T-2024-AFIF call.

Projects submitted for this funding must be clearly aligned with two key initiatives:

• The Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR).
• The TEN-T Regulation on the development of the Trans-European Transport Network (Regulation (EU) 1315/2013 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 11 December 2013).

Illustration 2. Hydrogen refuelling station

The AFIR regulation aims to promote the deployment of infrastructure for alternative fuels for road vehicles, trains, vessels, and stationary aircraft—that is, across different modes of transport. It sets out specific targets for the development of infrastructure in the following areas:

• Charging of light and heavy-duty electric vehicles.
• Hydrogen refuelling for road vehicles.
• Shore-side electricity supply in maritime and inland ports.
• Liquefied methane supply in maritime ports.
• Electricity supply for stationary aircraft.

The TEN-T regulation, for its part, aims to develop the Trans-European Transport Network in order to enhance cohesion, efficiency, sustainability, and user benefits across the network. It once again covers transport infrastructure across multiple modes, including road transport, maritime transport and motorways of the sea, air transport, intermodal transport, rail transport, and inland waterways.

Illustration 3. AFIR regulation components for infrastructure development

Specifically, the call provides funding for projects through two different mechanisms:

1. Unit Contributions: A fixed grant per unit, aimed at charging points for light and heavy-duty electric vehicles (Table 1).

Table 1. Potential unit-based funding for charging points depending on the call.

2. Co-funding rate: A grant based on the total eligible costs of the project budget. This funding line supports:

• Electric charging infrastructure.
• Hydrogen refuelling infrastructure.
• Storage infrastructure for the supply of ammonia to maritime and inland waterway vessels, and vessels used for port operations.
• Storage infrastructure for the supply of methanol to maritime and inland waterway vessels, and vessels used for port operations.

In this case, the grant can cover up to 30% of the eligible activities in the general call, and up to 50% for projects under the Cohesion Fund call. As an exception, for outermost regions of the European Union—such as the Canary Islands or Madeira—the aid may cover up to 70% of eligible costs.

Most of the eligible costs are expected to relate to construction works and equipment supply, as well as to synergistic elements, which may account for up to 20% of the project budget. The synergistic elements included in this call are:

• On-site electricity generation from renewable energy sources (e.g. solar).
• On-site hydrogen production from renewable energy sources (electrolysers) with sustainable water use.
• On-site electricity storage.
• Grid connection.

To clearly determine the amount that can be requested per project under the call, it is essential to understand which components are not eligible for funding. Including them in the project budget may result in the exclusion of the proposal from the selection process.

The activities excluded from funding under this call are:

• Vehicle-related costs.
• Costs related to land acquisition, rental/lease of facilities, purchases, and permits.
• Administrative costs, including travel expenses, daily allowances, and any indirect costs.
• Personnel costs.
• Costs related to any type of studies, design and supervision of works, communication, dissemination, and project management, whether internal or subcontracted.
• OPEX.
• Upgrades to existing electric charging infrastructure.
• Hydrogen production facilities other than electrolysers powered by renewable energy sources.
• Onshore storage tanks for ammonia and methanol.
• Charging points for electric vehicles located in elevated or underground parking structures.

How to apply for the grant

Let’s take a closer look at the key aspects of this funding opportunity, once it has been confirmed that a project is eligible for support.

Projects submitted must have the backing of financial institutions, in order to maximise the impact of the grant. Some of these institutions are designated as “Implementing Partners” (accounting for two-thirds of the budget), although projects linked to other institutions—whether public or private—can also be submitted (accounting for the remaining one-third of the budget).

Let’s now address the most frequently asked questions.

What documentation must be submitted?

The call includes a set of templates for the documents that must be completed and submitted before the cut-off date via the designated online platform. The grant application process is carried out through the EU Funding & Tenders portal and is managed by CINEA (European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency) (European Commission, n.d.).

• Form A (Administrative description) and Form B (Technical description of the project).
• Detailed budget by work package (WP).
• Activity report from the previous year.
• Gantt chart.
• List of previous projects.
• Letter of Support from the Member State.
• Environmental compliance document.
• Letter of Support from the financial institution.
• Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) (only in certain cases).

Of all the required documentation, at AtlantHy we believe it is important to highlight several key milestones that depend on third-party entities and could compromise the submission of the application.

Starting with the securing of external financing, it is mandatory for all projects to have at least 10% of the proposed costs covered by external funding.

Another key point is obtaining the environmental compliance document, as it must be signed by the competent authorities in the corresponding location. This includes compliance with the Natura 2000 network, the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive, and the Water Framework Directive.

Lastly, the Letter of Support from the Member State is required. This is an administrative procedure that must be completed independently and prior to the submission of documentation through the Funding & Tenders portal. In the specific case of Spain, this signature is the responsibility of the Ministry of Transport and Sustainable Mobility, and the procedure follows its own deadlines and documentation requirements (Ministerio de Transporte y Movilidad Sostenible, 2024).

What are the deadlines for submission?

The grant includes several cut-off dates, each with its own evaluation and award timeline. The first submission deadline closed on 24 September 2024 (Illustration 4).

Illustration 5. Cut-off dates for the CEF-T-2024-AFIF call

Once the submission window closes, proposals will be evaluated within a period of four months, after which preparation of the Grant Agreement (GA) will begin.

What is most valued?

Projects will be assessed based on five criteria, focused on how well the proposal aligns with the objectives of the call and the confidence that the project represents a sound investment for European funds.

Illustration 6. Evaluation criteria for the CEF-T-2024-AFIF call

A key recommendation for preparing a strong proposal is to clearly understand the timelines—not only for the call itself but also for obtaining documentation that depends on external entities.

In addition, it is advisable to allocate sufficient resources to the proper definition of the work packages, which are closely linked to the activity schedule and the budget. A strong project proposal demonstrates consistency and detail across all documents. This coherence is a key indicator of the project's maturity and significantly strengthens its credibility.

Conclusion

This call represents a great opportunity to secure financial support for your hydrogen mobility projects. Funding for hydrogen refuelling stations is essential to developing the necessary infrastructure—and Europe is well aware of that.

At AtlantHy, we’re experts in preparing applications for this programme and can help you develop a winning proposal. Interested? Let’s talk now—these projects require a high level of maturity and must be carefully prepared well in advance.

We recommend listening to Episode 73 of our podcast: Public Funding with Natalia Saiz and Laura Delgado (Deloitte) to learn more about this and other funding opportunities.

Remember that at AtlantHy, we have a strong track record in securing grants for renewable fuel projects, with a success rate of over 80%.

Don’t hesitate to contact us to get your project off the ground!

If you enjoyed this article, stay tuned for the second part, where we’ll share more key insights for a successful project… Follow us on AtlantHy Academy!

References

European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency. (2024). Connecting Europe Facility for Transport. Retrieved from https://cinea.ec.europa.eu/programmes/connecting-europe-facility/transport-infrastructure_en?prefLang=es

European Commission. (2024). Connecting Europe Facility. Retrieved from https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/infographics/fit-for-55-afir-alternative-fuels-infrastructure-regulation/

European Commission. (s.f.). Calls for proposals. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/calls-for-proposals?isExactMatch=true&status=31094501,31094502&frameworkProgramme=43251567&order=DESC&pageNumber=1&pageSize=50&sortBy=startDate

European Council. (2024). Fit for 55: towards more sustainable transport. Retrieved from https://www.consilium.europa.eu/en/infographics/fit-for-55-afir-alternative-fuels-infrastructure-regulation/

Ministerio de Transporte y Movilidad Sostenible. (2024). 2024 CEF AFIF (Alternative Fuels Infrastructure Facility). Retrieved from https://www.transportes.gob.es/el-ministerio/fondos-europeos-cef/convocatorias_2021-2027