Greater Brighton is investing £25,000 in the region’s plans for a low-carbon hydrogen economy.
The Greater Brighton Economic Board (GBEB) approved the funding for Hydrogen Sussex as part of the Greater Brighton Energy Plan, which aims to combat climate change and help the city region become carbon neutral by 2030.
The board, which is made up of seven councils, businesses, and universities, aims to pave the way for the transition to cleaner, renewable energy and lay the groundwork for the growth of a thriving low-carbon economy. The work of Hydrogen Sussex focuses on the development of a hydrogen industry that could support over 9,000 jobs and bring £4 billion in private investment to the UK.
Hydrogen is a critical fuel on the path to net zero emissions. It can be produced, stored, and used without emitting any carbon, and it’s crucial for decarbonizing many sectors of the economy, including transportation, maritime, and aviation, as well as industrial processes.
In February 2021, Hydrogen Sussex was established to aid the development of a low-carbon hydrogen economy in Sussex. Local governments, businesses, transportation providers, utilities companies, colleges, the universities of Brighton and Sussex, and a variety of other organizations are among its members.
The £25,000 from GBEB will be used to fund strategic work as well as the hiring of a specialist consultant to advise on future projects. Last year, Hydrogen Sussex received nearly £14,000 in training and development funding.
Hydrogen Sussex will require additional funding, which is expected to come from commercial investments and partnerships with public and private sector organizations.
Hydrogen Sussex has collaborated with its members on projects to develop technology to support the use of hydrogen to power large vehicles such as bin lorries, buses, and emergency vehicles, as well as to identify potential hydrogen production sites in the region using renewable energy.
