REG - EnergyPathways PLC - MESH confirmed as project of national significance

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RNS Number : 1379B  EnergyPathways PLC  29 September 2025

29 September 2025

EnergyPathways plc

 

("EnergyPathways" or the "Company")

 Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero recognises
EnergyPathways' MESH project as being of national significance

 

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.

 

Copies of the Secretary of State's direction and EnergyPathways' request can
be found at
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/marram-energy-storage-and-decarbonisation-hub-project-mesh-section-35-direction-planning-act-2008
(https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/marram-energy-storage-and-decarbonisation-hub-project-mesh-section-35-direction-planning-act-2008)
.

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."

 

Investor Engagement with EnergyPathways

 

Engage with us by asking questions, watching video summaries and seeing what
other shareholders have to say. Navigate to our Interactive Investor website
here: https://energypathways.uk/link/r8K37e
(https://energypathways.uk/link/r8K37e)

 

Enquiries

 

 Investor questions on this announcement                                      https://energypathways.uk/announcements
 We encourage all investors to share questions on this announcement via our   (https://energypathways.uk/announcements)
 investor hub
 EnergyPathways                                                               Tel: +44 (0)207 466 5000, c/o Burson Buchanan (Financial PR)
 Ben Clube / Max Williams

                                                                              Email : info@energypathways.uk
 Cairn Financial Advisers LLP (Nominated Adviser)                             Tel: +44 (0)20 7213 0880
 Jo Turner / Louise O'Driscoll / Sandy Jamieson
 SP Angel Corporate Finance LLP (Broker)                                      Tel: +44 (0)20 3470 0470
 Richard Hail / Adam Cowl
 Global Investment Strategy UK Limited (Joint Broker)                         Tel: +44 (0)20 7048 9000
 Callum Hill / James Sheehan

 

Subscribe to our news alert service: energypathways.uk
(http://energypathways.uk/auth/signup) /auth/signup
(http://energypathways.uk/auth/signup)

 

For further information on EnergyPathways visit www.energypathways.uk and
@energy_pathways on X (formerly Twitter).

 

Forward Looking Statements

 

This announcement contains forward-looking statements relating to expected or
anticipated future events and anticipated results that are forward-looking in
nature and, as a result, are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, such
as general economic, market and business conditions, competition for qualified
staff, the regulatory process and actions, technical issues, new legislation,
uncertainties resulting from potential delays or changes in plans,
uncertainties resulting from working in a new political jurisdiction,
uncertainties regarding the results of exploration, uncertainties regarding
the timing and granting of prospecting rights, uncertainties regarding the
timing and granting of regulatory and other third party consents and
approvals, uncertainties regarding the Company's or any third party's ability
to execute and implement future plans, and the occurrence of unexpected
events.

 

Actual results achieved may vary from the information provided herein as a
result of numerous known and unknown risks and uncertainties and other
factors.

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