MESH storage licence applications to be submitted
EnergyPathways PLC has announced it has received consent from the North Sea Transition Authority to apply for new hydrogen and natural gas storage licenses in the East Irish Sea, supporting its MESH project. The company expects to submit gas storage applications later this month to support expansion plans. The nominated area for these new licenses is around four times greater than previously applied for. This follows confirmation that key elements of the MESH development should be treated as a development of national significance. The MESH project is targeted to be operational by 2030.
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EnergyPathways (AIM: EPP), the energy transition company, is pleased to announce that it has given notice to and received consent from the North Sea Transition Authority ("NSTA") to apply for new hydrogen and natural gas storage licences in the East Irish Sea in support of its flagship MESH project ("MESH" or the "Project").
The Company expects to submit one or more new Gas Storage applications later this month to support its expansion plans for the MESH project - a large-scale long duration energy storage ("LDES") and decarbonisation project. The Company's nominated area for these new hydrogen and natural gas storage licences covers an area of salt cavern storage potential around four times greater than it had previously applied for.
This strategic step follows the direction issued on 26 September 2025 by the Rt Hon, Ed Miliband, the UK's Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, confirming that that key elements of the Company's integrated MESH development should be treated as a development of national significance under the 2008 Planning Act, underscoring its potential critical role in the country's long-term energy security and net zero strategy and the supply of more affordable energy to British consumers.
The Company's applications, if successful, will provide opportunity for expanded salt cavern energy storage capacity and the significant scalable expansion of the MESH project as a major integrated LDES and low-carbon flexible power system, further underpinning EnergyPathways' vision to grow the Project into one of the UK's largest integrated energy storage and decarbonisation hubs.
Ben Clube, Chief Executive Officer of EnergyPathways, commented:
"We are delighted to advance our plans to apply for new hydrogen and natural gas storage licences from the NSTA.
"This follows the Secretary of State's formal confirmation that our MESH project is a project of national significance - a powerful signal that reinforces our confidence in the UK investment environment for energy transition projects such as MESH. It further highlights MESH's potential to supply more affordable energy to Britain's consumers and make a material contribution to the nation's Clean Power 2030, energy security, and net zero ambitions.
"By developing MESH for large scale LDES, low-carbon flexible power and new hydrogen production industries, MESH is firmly aligned with the government's energy priorities. We are now accelerating project delivery alongside our Tier 1 partners, including Siemens Energy, Hazer Group in conjunction with KBR Inc., Wood plc, Costain plc, and Zenith Energy. In parallel we will progress our applications for the consents and approvals required to bring this landmark project into operation.
"If the Company is successful with these new hydrogen and natural gas storage licence applications, EnergyPathways will secure an area of salt cavern storage potential around four times greater than that it had previously sought. MESH would represent a scalable business model and growth platform for EnergyPathways that will have potential to become a key component in the decarbonised energy future of the UK."
About MESH
The MESH system is designed to capture and store curtailed offshore wind power in offshore salt caverns as compressed air. The MESH energy storage system combines associated large-scale hydrogen, thermal and natural gas storage capacity in salt caverns, as well as gas storage in the Marram gas field clastic reservoirs. During periods of low renewable energy availability, the LDES stored energy resources will be utilised to generate low-carbon flexible power for the UK's grid via compressed air expansion, thermal energy and hydrogen-compatible gas turbine systems to generate electricity. This integrated system will provide affordable low-carbon dispatchable electricity to the UK grid, enhancing its energy security and flexibility.
The MESH facility will also produce affordable low-carbon hydrogen using a methane pyrolysis technology to which EnergyPathways has exclusive rights of use within the UK. The hydrogen can be used to further decarbonise the MESH flexible power generation system using its hydrogen compatible gas turbine system. The hydrogen produced can also be stored in MESH hydrogen storage or supply hydrogen into the UK's emerging Project Union hydrogen network, further contributing to emissions reduction across the broader UK energy system. MESH hydrogen also has potential to be used to produce low-carbon ammonia at bolt-on facilities. The by-product of the MESH hydrogen production facility will be a high-grade form of synthetic graphite, a critical mineral for energy transition.
The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information as stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulations (EU) No. 596/2014 (MAR). Upon the publication of this announcement via Regulatory Information Service (RIS), this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.
Investor Engagement with EnergyPathways
| Investor questions on this announcement We encourage all investors to share questions on this announcement via our investor hub | https://energypathways.uk/link/P2zg2P |
| EnergyPathways Ben Clube / Max Williams | Tel: +44 (0)207 466 5000, c/o Burson Buchanan (Financial PR) Email : info@energypathways.uk |
| Cairn Financial Advisers LLP (Nominated Adviser) Jo Turner / Louise O'Driscoll / Sandy Jamieson | Tel: +44 (0)20 7213 0880 |
| SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP (Broker) Richard Hail / Adam Cowl | Tel: +44 (0)20 3470 0470 |
| Global Investment Strategy UK Limited (Joint Broker) Callum Hill / James Sheehan | Tel: +44 (0)20 7048 9000 |
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Cleaned text: letterheads, contacts and legal notices removed. View the original announcement ↗ · Company filings. Not investment advice.