Australia’s embryonic hydrogen industry has a new threat in the form of Bob Brown, who says the potential energy export blockbuster must not be based on mega dam projects, bird-killing wind farms or without a “social licence” that returns foreign earnings to communities.

The demands by Dr Brown, the former Greens leader who on Thursday launched a broadside against Andrew Forrest’s ambitious global hydrogen plans, puts the industry on notice that the Greens could use any balance of power they win in a potentially hung Parliament to erect barriers.