Update on Fortress Fuel Initiative

Further to its announcement dated 5 May 2026 and entitled 'HUI to enter military market with Fortress Fuel', Hydrogen Utopia International PLC ("HUI"), a pioneer in transforming non-recyclable mixed waste into clean hydrogen, carbon-free fuels and advanced materials especially SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) is delighted to announce the creation of Fortress Fuel Limited, a company incorporated in England and Wales (company number 17254284) ("Fortress Fuel"), a dedicated subsidiary established to address what the Board believes are compelling and fast-moving opportunities in defence energy and fuel security.

The Board expects that Fortress Fuel will address a significant vulnerability in modern forward base operations namely, dependence on an unbroken external supply chain. Today, a forward operating base requires a continuous flow of fuel, water, power and material from sources that are geographically distant, logistically complex and acutely exposed to interdiction. A single severed supply line - whether by peer adversary strike, drone swarm, mines or electronic warfare - could materially impair a base's operational capabilities. Fortress Fuel' s mission is intended to reduce exposure to that vulnerability by converting locally stockpiled waste plastics into certified JP8 jet fuel, diesel and petrol commencing with a proven plasma gasification front end through certified clean up from well-respected providers to final Fischer-Tropsch and hydrocracking, technologies that have already achieved the necessary certifications for military usage.

During combat, when the base has been interdicted from external sources, it is envisaged that a sovereign stockpile of 100,000 tonnes of virgin plastic pellets could be utilised as an on-site feedstock reserve. The intended Fortress Fuel system would operate without a grid connection, provide electricity for the base, and use water from on-site bore wells and process gas derived from the feedstock. The intended outcome would be a base that is not merely resilient but genuinely autonomous, designed, subject to final configuration, operating conditions and feedstock availability, to support air and ground operations for a target period of at least 12 months from within its own perimeter regardless of what happens beyond the wire.

After a thorough review of its commercial and defence-related pipeline, the Board concluded that Fortress Fuel's target customers, procurement routes and day-to-day operations are sufficiently distinct from HUI's core business to create an entity focused entirely on defence energy opportunities. The Board believes that establishing Fortress Fuel will enable it to move fast and pursue opportunities in its target market with the appropriate focus.

The intended Fortress Fuel system is to bring together established Fischer-Tropsch and hydrocracking technologies to produce fuels intended to meet recognised military standards, including JP-8 fuel compliant with applicable NATO Standardisation Agreements (STANAGs), the binding technical standards that ensure fuels, equipment and procedures work interchangeably across all NATO member states and allied forces. JP-8 is the primary battlefield fuel used across NATO, powering everything from fighter jets and helicopters to armoured vehicles, trucks and field generators. Compliance of the intended Fortress Fuel system with applicable STANAG requirements could support integration with allied operations.

The Company has held preliminary discussions with parties in the defence, security and strategic infrastructure sectors in relation to Fortress Fuel's proposed activities, including through meetings held in Vilnius and Brussels with NATO. These discussions are at an early stage and there can be no certainty that they will result in commercial agreements.

Fortress Fuel's intended system is to combine fuel production and electricity generation within a single deployable unit. Subject to final engineering and deployment configuration, the system is to be designed to produce around 28,000 tonnes of JP-8 per year, alongside approximately 5,000 tonnes of diesel and 2,000 tonnes of petrol, while also generating surplus power to support extended operations. It is intended to do all of this without relying on external electricity or water infrastructure, which the Board believes makes it especially relevant in remote or high-risk environments where supply chain resilience matters most.

HUI's existing commercial activities such as the Company's projects in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Oman including its proposed large-scale waste-to-fuel and Sustainable Aviation Fuel initiatives and other decarbonisation projects are not expected by the Board to be affected by this announcement. The Board views the commercial fuel market and the defence energy market as two distinct opportunities, with different customers, financing structures and procurement processes.

Fortress Fuel is currently in preliminary discussions with a number of organisations in the defence sector, and the Board believes that there is increasing focus on energy security and fuel independence across the military industry.

Further details regarding the composition of Fortress Fuel's board and advisory team will be announced in due course.

Aleksandra Binkowska, Chief Executive Officer of HUI, commented: "We are living in times of great instability, and in such times the Company has seen an enormous and accelerating level of interest from both political bodies and private corporations. The drivers are clear: the world is suffocating not only from rising fuel prices but also from a deeper, more unsettling anxiety about energy security and national safety. It is precisely in this environment that the Board believes the case for a dedicated, deployable and sovereign fuel capability has never been stronger."

Hydrogen Utopia International PLC

Aleksandra Binkowska

Alfred Henry Corporate Finance Limited (LSE Corporate Adviser)

Nick Michaels/Maya Klein Wassink

AlbR Capital Limited (Broker)

Jon Belliss/Colin Rowbury