By signing a letter of intent, the companies opened the door to collaboration to reduce the carbon footprint emitted by airline operations.
The agreement contemplates the acquisition by ACIA of ten Universal Hydrogen conversion kits to adapt ATR 72 aircraft to be powered by hydrogen to achieve net-zero emissions during flights. Purchase rights to an additional 20 conversion kits for various types of turboprops were also agreed upon.
At the Dubai Airshow 2021, which is fully covered by Aviacionline with special delegates, the companies announced that they will also collaborate to guarantee access to hydrogen fuel services for customers leasing aircraft from ACIA Aero Leasing.
A statement issued by Universal Hydrogen said the company will deliver green hydrogen to regional airports around the world using its modular capsule technology to transport it through the existing intermodal cargo network and using cargo handling equipment already available to airports.
Paul Eremenko, co-founder and CEO of Universal Hydrogen, said, «ACIA’s diverse customer base enables us to have a major decarbonization impact on regional aviation globally (…) ACIA’s cargo and passenger aircraft leasing customers would be able to move to true zero-emission operations by the mid-2020s, putting them at the forefront of clean aviation.»
According to Mick Mooney, ACIA’s CEO, lessees are permanently looking for solutions aimed at improving operational efficiencies, both for operational costs and environmental impact. «The decarbonization of our fleet encourages customers and competitors to follow our lead in advancing the development of carbon-free solutions», he added.
Meanwhile, Sameer Adam, ACIA’s senior vice president commercial stated that «fleet expansion, new market engagements and the development of our leasing portfolio will need to include a plan to adopt sustainable, carbon-free technologies. This commitment to Universal Hydrogen is just the first major milestone in the execution of our overall sustainability strategy.»
Green hydrogen is one of the keys to decarbonizing the industry in the long term. While its development still needs to reach its maturity, the progress of several companies around the world in addressing its production, transportation, and supply, among others, is encouraging. This agreement reaffirms the commitment of lessors and airlines to invest in this technology.
