RICARDO DELIVERS HYDROGEN SAFETY TRAINING TO BRIGHTON & HOVE BUSES AND METROBUS

Ricardo is applying its world-leading expertise in chemical training to enable Brighton & Hove Buses and Metrobus to implement innovative hydrogen technology safely in support of corporate and national decarbonisation goals.

During 2023, Brighton & Hove Buses and Metrobus will have in their operation 20 hydrogen fuel cell buses on the Metrobus Fastway route 10 serving Crawley, London Gatwick Airport and Horley in the UK. The single-decker fuel cell buses are gap funded with money from JIVE (Joint Initiative for Hydrogen Vehicles across Europe): a project administered by the Clean Hydrogen Partnership (former Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking) under the European Union Horizon 2020 framework programme for research and innovation, plus investment from Gatwick Airport. Brighton & Hove Buses and Metrobus are part of JIVE that will deploy nearly 300 fuel cell buses in 22 European cities by the early 2020s – the largest deployment in Europe to date.

Thanks to the proven global reputation of its National Chemical Emergency Centre (NCEC), Ricardo was appointed by Brighton & Hove Buses and Metrobus to deliver expert, accredited training on awareness, safety and incident response in relation to hydrogen and fuel cells to operational staff both virtually and in person at bus depots across West Sussex. This training will enable key members of staff to carry out operations supporting hydrogen infrastructure safely and also have the best possible preparation to resolve a real incident safely and efficiently.

This project is the latest example of Ricardo furthering the safe and sustainable adoption of hydrogen technology in Sussex. On 13 February 2023, Ricardo announced it has developed the hydrogen strategy for Greater Brighton, with the intention of encouraging inward investment in this green technology on the south coast of England.