Business and political leaders in Greater Brighton were urged to raise the region’s profile with the government if the area is to reap the benefits of the developing hydrogen energy industry.

The chief executive of the South Downs National Park Trevor Beattie suggested inviting a government minister to the area to drive a hydrogen-powered bus as one way of raising the region’s profile.

Mr Beattie made his suggestion at a meeting at Hove Town Hall on Tuesday as the Greater Brighton Economic Board approved a “hydrogen strategy”.

Hydrogen is regarded as one of the fuel sources of the future that will be needed as fossil fuels are phased out.

As Mr Beattie spoke, Grant Shapps, a former Transport Secretary, was announced as the new Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero.

Mr Beattie said that promotion was crucial in developing the hydrogen industry in the Greater Brighton region, adding that it faced stiff competition from the Solent freeport and surrounding area.

He said: “We need to capture this and flaunt it a bit more. Let’s get straight to the new ministers and get one of them in to drive a bus or do something else.

“We need to get straight to them because I’m not sure we have that government profile yet.”

The Argus: Council leader Phelim Mac Cafferty supports hydrogen energyCouncil leader Phelim Mac Cafferty supports hydrogen energy

Mr Beattie also said that planning officials and committees would need training so that they were ready to deal with applications submitted by companies aiming to build and manufacture in the sector.

Green councillor Phelim Mac Cafferty, the leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, said that the Local Government Association would need to support training for planning departments.

Cllr Mac Cafferty, who chairs the Greater Brighton Economic Board, said: “The last thing we want is this to turn into 5G, with communities and planning committee members thinking this is a dangerous energy option.

“It isn’t. It’s one of the few things left that is going to secure us safely through the climate armageddon that we face.”

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The new strategy was prepared by Graeme MacLean, the hydrogen incubator leader at the engineering company Ricardo, in Shoreham, on behalf of the industry group Hydrogen Sussex.

He said that the region had a number of strengths including the number of advanced engineering companies and academic institutions.

And there was the kind of infrastructure that could fuel demand at Gatwick Airport and the ports of Shoreham and Newhaven.

Shoreham Port was a potential site for a multi-megawatt electrolysis plant producing hydrogen.

Mr MacLean said that the region did not have historical links with heavy industry, which gave areas such as South Wales and Teesside an advantage.

In those places, he said, more people who were working in the area had transferable skills from jobs in oil refineries and chemical factories.

He added: “We’re not going to have those big industrial plus factors – but we have engineering expertise with Ricardo, Ceres and Bramble (and) the universities.

“There is clearly room to expand the engineering sector. We can attract others and give them the opportunity to collaborate.”

The Argus: Chief executive Geoff Raw discussed hydrogen energyChief executive Geoff Raw discussed hydrogen energy

Brighton and Hove City Council’s chief executive Geoff Raw flagged up the focus of the new government department – for energy security and net zero.

Mr Raw said: “We might not be Rotterdam, a hydrogen capital centre, but I do think there are high-value jobs coming from the technology.”

People will want to live here because they would be in a “knowledge cluster”, he said, and networks were in place to support the cluster’s growth.

Mr Raw added: “If we position ourselves in the right part of that (hydrogen) economy, there is something we can achieve here in terms of broader growth.”