Coalition says the EU must give greater backing to zero-carbon shipping
Ten industry groups have called on the European Commission to accelerate zero-carbon technologies in its forthcoming Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP).
IMAGE: The European Commission's headquarters. Getty Images
EU policies have failed to back clean shipping and aviation technologies, slowing their development and commercial rollout, an alliance of companies and organisations wrote in a letter to the European Commission today.
The letter was coordinated by the Skies and Seas Hydrogen-fuels Accelerator (SASHA) Coalition.
They argue that innovations such as wind propulsion, hydrogen combustion, fuel cells and battery-electric systems are among the most scalable solutions for short- and medium-haul shipping routes, and could offer Europe industrial and energy security advantages.
But unlike transitional fuels supported by the FuelEU Maritime regulation, zero-carbon vessel technologies have not received comparable regulatory backing, they say.
The alliance warns that this policy gap has limited investment and infrastructure development, keeping such systems from reaching commercial scale.
To improve conditions for zero-carbon technologies, the group argues for the EU to mandate a share of inter-EU voyages to be sailed on zero-carbon technologies by 2040.
It also calls for these technologies to get priority financial support, especially renewable hydrogen.
Regional testbeds should be greated, they argue, and certain public service routes should demonstrate that these technologies work.
And the Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Regulation (AFIR) should be changed to mandate hydrogen bunkering and electric charging in European ports.
The Sustainable Transport Investment Plan (STIP) presents a crucial opportunity for action, according to SASHA Coalition director of EU policy Aurelia Leeuw.
"The lowest-emission maritime and aviation technologies are also the ones most overlooked by regulation," she said.
The signatories recognise that zero-carbon maritime and aviation technologies can still emit some carbon on a lifecycle analysis basis.
By Gautamee Hazarika
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