New initiative aims to promote green hydrogen as fuel in maritime and aviation The new Skies and Seas Hydrogen-fuels Accelerator (SASHA) Coalition is bringing together leaders from across shipping and aviation to promote that green hydrogen and direct air capture (DAC) are integral to decarbonization.The SASHA Coalition has been set up by climate change NGO Opportunity Green and is being officially launched by Lord Deben, Chair of the UK’s independent Committee on Climate Change, at a virtual event taking place on 24 May.
The SASHA Coalition aims to help facilitate policy discussions and provide members with the knowledge, tools, assets and materials they need to make an impact.
“Individual airlines and shipping companies are calling for green hydrogen in their sectors, but their voices are not loud enough on their own. These industries need to form one powerful, unified voice on this issue so they have greater influence over policy.… explained Aoife O’Leary, CEO of Opportunity Green and director of the SASHA Coalition Regulation.
According to Opportunity Green, hydrogen and carbon dioxide from DAC are limited supplies that must be targeted towards the industries that do not have faster, more efficient routes to decarbonization. The NGO believes that Currently, EU and UK policy does not do enough to ensure the supply of green hydrogen and DAC will be available for the aviation and shipping sectors.
Despite this, they’re being referenced in policies for use in a wide range of sectors, such as the UK Government’s Net Zero Strategy and the EU’s REPowerEU policy. However, Opportunity Green highlights that regulations which encourage the use of these fuels in sectors that do not require it will only cause a delay in tackling the climate crisis.
The SASHA Coalition hopes to address this gap in policy coherence and put the case forward to policymakers that the use of green hydrogen and DAC should be prioritised in the sectors where it is needed most, including shipping and aviation.
“It is important for shipping and aviation companies to be clear about the share they need, and we’re pleased to support the SASHA Coalition in providing the necessary research and data to develop their case, said Sally Prickett, Director of Hydrogen, CCUS and New Fuels in Arup’s Advisory team.
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