EnergyPathways (AIM: EPP), the energy transition company, is delighted to announce that the Rt Hon, Ed Miliband, the UK’s Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, has formally directed that the major elements of the Company’s flagship MESH project be treated as a development of national significance requiring development consent under the Planning Act 2008.
With the Secretary of State’s decision, the major elements of the MESH project will now follow the priority development authorisation processes under the Planning Act 2008, reserved for projects of national significance in energy and other sectors.
MESH – a Transformational Energy Hub
Located in the East Irish Sea and Barrow-in-Furness, in Cumbria, the MESH project has the potential to become a cornerstone of the UK’s clean energy infrastructure, directly supporting Government targets for Clean Power 2030, Net Zero and industrial growth.
The Secretary of State’s decision recognises the main large scale and high impact elements of the MESH project, which are:
· Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES): a scalable system integrating compressed air, thermal and hydrogen geo-storage, designed to capture and monetise the £billions lost annually in wasted UK wind power;
· Flexible Low-Carbon Power Capacity: multi-day, low-cost backup to stabilise the UK’s grid, reducing the UK’s reliance on aging and costly high-emission unabated gas power plants;
· Low-Carbon Hydrogen Production: a scalable system producing hydrogen at a fraction of the cost of electrolytic hydrogen and without producing waste carbon dioxide. This technology system could help to decarbonise Britain’s gas supply with no emissions and will help to unlock a sustainable clean energy future for North Sea undeveloped gas reserves currently overlooked due to emission concerns;
· Next-Generation British Industries: production of high-purity synthetic graphite, a critical mineral in a growing global market for battery applications, and the production of low-carbon ammonia (the UK currently depends for its ammonia supply almost entirely on high emission and costly imports); and
· Large-scale gas storage: subject to the necessary authorisations under the Petroleum Act 1998 and Energy Act 2008, the MESH project will also provide large-scale gas storage that can strengthen the UK’s future energy security in an increasingly uncertain geo-political world. MESH gas storage is expected to be equivalent in size to Centrica’s Rough gas storage facility – the UK’s current largest facility and in the opinion of the directors of the Company, MESH offers a lower cost gas storage development option in comparison to other proposals.
Strong Industry Partnerships
EnergyPathways is advancing MESH in collaboration with leading global energy and infrastructure partners, including Siemens Energy, Wood plc, Costain plc, KBR Inc, and Hazer Group.
With the project’s nationally significant status confirmed, EnergyPathways will now progress the MESH project towards a Development Consent Order, positioning it as a transformational UK energy hub and a flagship clean growth project of national significance.
Ben Clube, EnergyPathways’ CEO commented: “The Secretary of State’s decision is a landmark moment for EnergyPathways and for the UK’s energy transition. By granting the MESH project nationally significant status, the Government has recognised its potential to become a cornerstone of the UK’s clean energy future.
“MESH is designed to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing the UK energy system today – the high cost of wasted wind power, heavy reliance on aging high emission and expensive gas power plants and ensuring reliable and secure energy supply in an uncertain geo-political world. With its significant storage capacity, flexible clean power, low-cost hydrogen and supporting new low-carbon industries, MESH can become a catalyst for investment and growth in the UK’s economy delivering long-term value not only to EnergyPathways’ shareholders, but also to Britain’s consumers.
“The MESH project’s “whole system” approach is critical to delivering synergies that support a clean energy future for Britain while helping reduce the burden of subsidy costs being passed on to UK consumers.
“Together with our world-class partners, we are now moving forward at pace towards development consent. We believe MESH has the potential to become one of the UK’s most important energy hubs, a flagship project of global significance with the potential to be replicated both within the UK and internationally.”
