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SASHA: Green hydrogen is vital for sustainable bunker fuels in shipping and aviation

New report outlines how governments should prioritise the use of hydrogen and DAC in the aviation and shipping sectors because they lack decent alternatives, amongst others.

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All pathways to truly sustainable fuels for the shipping and aviation sectors require green hydrogen, produced from renewables, with some of them requiring carbon dioxide from sustainable sources like direct air capture (DAC).

This was the main conclusion of a report released on Monday (11 September) by the SASHA Coalition, facilitated by Opportunity Green. 

The report revealed that there is a lack of policy supporting the production of green hydrogen, which is slowing down demand and discouraging investment, creating a “Green Hydrogen Gap”. 

It outlined how governments should prioritise the use of hydrogen and DAC in the aviation and shipping sectors because they lack decent alternatives, and also highlights the need for policy to ensure that these solutions can be rolled out at scale. 

While first-mover ambitious companies can step forward voluntarily to send clear, unambiguous and urgent demand signals to green hydrogen producers, their actions will always be in isolation without the backing of policymakers.  

The Green Hydrogen Gap report by Opportunity Green draws on exclusive research by Arup and looks at the policy landscape of green hydrogen and DAC in the UK and the EU. 

It found that hydrogen production is behind on projections of where it needs to be to meet the temperature goals of the Paris Agreement and that this is due to a lack of guaranteed demand across the board. 

The latest environmental policies from both the EU and the UK focus more on supporting biofuels and/or the use of gas (liquefied natural gas) in aviation and shipping respectively, rather than ensuring that green hydrogen – required for full decarbonisation – is prioritised for aviation and shipping.

Aoife O’Leary, CEO of Opportunity Green and Director of the SASHA Coalition, said: “There is a worrying delay in green hydrogen production, which means that if aviation and shipping don’t make their case clearly and loudly now, they won’t have access to fuels that will truly lead to sustainable decarbonisation.”

“Governments are already prioritising other industries for hydrogen, so without stronger policy, aviation and shipping will be overlooked.”

Kerosene and Heavy Fuel Oil currently meet the bulk of fuel demand for the marine and aviation industries, and it’s estimated that the total consumption of marine fuels account for around 5% of global oil demand.

Sally Prickett, Director of Hydrogen, CCUS and New Fuels in Arup’s Advisory team, said: “Clearly, shipping and aviation will be unable to decarbonise at the scale and pace required without alternative fuels. It’s unlikely that there will be a ‘one solution fits all’ fuel for these sectors, but one thing this research tells us is that green hydrogen will play a critical role in their decarbonisation as a feedstock for the majority of sustainable fuel pathways. Without green hydrogen, these sectors will struggle to find satisfactory zero emissions solutions.” 

According to the report, policy signals are supporting the uptake of hydrogen-derived fuels at both a UK and EU level. However, these are not on the scale that’s needed to meet Paris targets and are just one component that will drive the adoption of hydrogen-derived fuels. 

“Policymakers must recognise that green hydrogen will continue to be in limited supply in the coming decades and should therefore be targeted towards sectors – such as shipping and aviation – that have no more efficient routes to decarbonisation,” it said. 

Nuala Doyle, Policy Officer at the SASHA Coalition, said: “Both shipping and aviation have come under increasing scrutiny for their climate impact, resulting in additional regulation at international, regional and national levels. And regulation will only get stricter over time as the climate crisis worsens.”

“We know that the fuels that will fully decarbonise both sectors require green hydrogen and direct air capture. However, current regulations do little to incentivise these – instead the regulations encourage fuels that either are not scalable or are still fossil fuels. Without regulation that aligns with, and incentivises, the goal of zero emissions, companies may find they end up with stranded assets from investment in a fuel that is no longer acceptable to use.”

Photo credit: SASHA Coalition
Published: 13 September, 2023

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Alternative Fuels

China’s SDARI receives AiPs for alternative-fuelled ships including ammonia bunker vessel

CSSC’s SDARI obtained Approval in Principle (AiP) certificates from classification societies ABS, RINA and LR for four vessel designs including a 50,000 cubic metre ammonia bunkering vessel.

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China’s SDARI receives AiPs for alternative-fuelled ships including ammonia bunker vessel

China State Shipbuilding Corporation’s (CSSC) Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute (SDARI) recently obtained Approval in Principle (AiP) certificates from several classification societies for four vessel designs. 

Among the four is a 50,000 cubic metre (m3) ammonia bunkering vessel, which received AiP certificate from American Bureau of Shipping (ABS). 

It integrates liquid ammonia transportation and bunkering functions and can meet the long-distance transportation needs of liquefied gas goods such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and liquid ammonia. 

The ship is equipped with three IMO Type A independent liquid cargo tanks, and uses zero-carbon ammonia fuel to drive the main engine and generator, meeting the IMO greenhouse gas emission reduction strategy and actively responding to the latest greenhouse gas intensity (GFI) requirements of the 83rd meeting of the IMO Marine Environment Protection Committee (MEPC 83). 

The entire ship is equipped with two independent 1,000 m3 deck liquid ammonia storage tanks, taking into account the ammonia fuel endurance requirements under multi-cargo loading and unloading, significantly improving operational economy and flexibility. 

In response to the needs of bunkering operations, it is specially equipped with a retractable bow thruster, side thruster and adjustable propellers to meet ABS’ DPS-1 notation and adapt to the complex port environment of bunkering operations. 

China’s SDARI receives AiPs for alternative-fuelled ships including ammonia bunker vessel

Meanwhile, a dual-fuel LNG/hydrogen-powered Ultramax bulker design and a 30,000 GT Roll-On/Roll-Off Passenger (ROPAX) ship designed to sail in the Mediterranean Sea received AiP certificates from RINA. 

SDARI also received AiP from Lloyd’s Register (LR) for a 113,000 dwt ammonia dual-fuel liquid cargo ship. The optimised propulsion system, specially configured with an ammonia dual-fuel power system and a wind-assisted propulsion system, is expected to save more than 10% energy, especially at low speeds. 

 

Photo credit: Shanghai Merchant Ship Design and Research Institute
Published: 12 June, 2025

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Alternative Fuels

ICCT report identifies six Brazilian ports as potential renewable marine fuel bunkering hubs

Three are public ports—Santos, Rio Grande, and Itaqui—and three are privately owned ports—Pecem, Navegantes, and Porto do Açu; Santos ranked high in four out of the five criteria assessed for readiness.

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A new report by the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT) on Thursday (5 June) has identified six Brazilian ports as candidate hubs for renewable marine fuel bunkering. 

The report analysed the readiness of Brazilian ports to support the production, bunkering, and deployment of renewable hydrogen and its derivatives, such as renewable ammonia and renewable methanol, laying the groundwork for establishing green shipping corridors.

Three are public ports—Santos, Rio Grande, and Itaqui—and three are privately owned ports—Pecem, Navegantes, and Porto do Açu. Santos, the largest port in Latin America, ranked high in four out of the five criteria assessed for readiness, though it had only a moderate level of commitment to decarbonisation due to a lack of ongoing or planned offshore wind projects. 

Porto do Açu and Itaqui scored high on all criteria except for access to potential offshore wind energy. Public ports generally scored higher than private ports, especially for their infrastructure, strategic location, and connectivity. On a scale of 1 to 5, the six candidates chosen for further assessment had weighted scores that ranged from 3.5 to 4.4.

Based on 2023 ship traffic, the report also identified 10 routes connecting the six candidates to both the domestic market and key international markets. Among the 10 sample routes moving key commodities, including iron ore and container cargo, between the candidate ports and ports around the world, the report estimated that five routes could be completed with direct use of renewable liquid hydrogen in a fuel cell without refuelling en route. The report found all routes could be completed without refuelling if ships use renewable hydrogen-derived ammonia and methanol in internal combustion engines. 

To successfully complete all 10 routes, with at least one ship on each route, a total energy of 1,785 tonnes of hydrogen is required if the minimum consumption of renewable fuel is considered across all routes. 

“Conversely, if we look at the maximum consumption of renewable fuel for all 10 routes, the total energy requirement is 1,911 tonnes. This translates to a demand for renewable electricity of 82 to 92 GWh,” the report said.

ICCT said the pre-feasibility assessment demonstrates the significant potential of Brazilian ports to serve as renewable marine fuel hubs, offering both economic and environmental benefits. 

“By quantifying the potential bunkering demand and analysing port readiness, this study provides a guideline for future investments and policy initiatives aimed at accelerating the decarbonisation of maritime shipping,” it added.

Note: The full report titled ‘The potential of Brazilian ports as renewable marine fuel bunkering hubs’ can be found here

 

Photo credit: Jeff Doria on Unsplash
Published: 12 June, 2025

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Alternative Fuels

ABS awards AiP to Pherousa Shipping for on-board ammonia cracking technology

Pherousa developed its ammonia cracking technology, featuring proton exchange membrane fuel cells and FGSS for fully electric propulsion, which is targeted for application on its Ultramax 64,000 dwt bulker.

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ABS awards AiP to Pherousa Shipping for on-board ammonia cracking technology

Classification society ABS on Friday (6 June) said an approval in principle (AiP) was issued to Pherousa Shipping for its ammonia cracking technology onboard ships, featuring proton exchange membrane fuel cells and fuel gas supply system (FGSS) for fully electric propulsion.

The emissions-free propulsion system is targeted for application on Pherousa’s Ultramax 64,000 dwt bulk carrier to transport copper, a key material in solar panels and electric cars, in fully emissions free vessels.

Patrick Ryan, ABS Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer, said: “We are seeing rapid innovation and new developments around ammonia as an alternative fuel, whether as a carrier of hydrogen or as a fuel in its own right.

“Cracking ammonia to produce hydrogen for fuel cells is one that has the potential to accelerate the energy transition to low or no carbon emissions in the maritime industry. ABS is proud to share our deep insight into the safety aspects of ammonia as a marine fuel in supporting development of this capability.”

Hans Bredrup, Chairman of Pherousa AS, said: “The approval in principle from ABS marks another important milestone for us in the development of a zero-emission scalable solution for the maritime industry. 

“It allows us to continue the design and construction of our concept series of 64,000 dwt bulk carriers earmarked for the copper industry, to ensure that this specific commodity, so essential to global decarbonisation, can be delivered across oceans without any carbon footprint at all.”

Key partners in the project include the designers Deltamarin, the flag state Marshall Islands, Babcock International Group, which supplies the FGSS, as well as Metacon, the technology developer and shareholder of Pherousa.

 

Photo credit: ABS
Published: 10 June, 2025

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