Dear Editor,
In your Friday editorial you mention the use of LNG.
Please note the importance of hydrogen as a carbon-free fuel.
It will be used in the aviation, automotive and maritime sectors, meaning that aircraft, cars, yachts, cruise ships and even utility plants that produce electricity will use it. Seawater can be turned into hydrogen through a process called electrolysis which separates oxygen (O) from hydrogen (H2). That means that St. Maarten could make its own hydrogen fuel in the future (don’t count on the latter).
In media reports one reads: “If cruise liners are mandated that they must run on green fuel and the destinations they’d like to go to are not able to provide the green fuel, then they may have no choice but to go to other destinations,” … and … “this imminent and unstoppable energy transition that’s upon us” … and … “MSC (cruise line) gets serious about building world’s first ocean-going hydrogen-powered cruise ship” … and … in the USA … “DOT (Dept. of Transportation) and FAA (Federal Aviation Authority) are directed to ‘advance the competitiveness of the United States in the safe use of hydrogen in civil aviation.’”
At my next CARIBAVIA conference in 2025 on St. Barth, I will have a presentation by HDF – Hydrogene De France. They already have hydrogen projects in Martinique, French Guyana, Barbados and Trinidad.
Bud Slabbaert
