REG - Hydrogen Utopia Intl - HUI to enter military market with Fortress Fuel

Hydrogen Utopia InternationalAnnouncement

05/05/2026 07:00

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RNS Number : 9059C  Hydrogen Utopia International PLC  05 May 2026

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5 May 2026

Hydrogen Utopia International PLC

 

(the "Company" or "HUI")

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, advanced
materials, and distributed renewable heat, is delighted to announce the launch
of Project Fortress Fuel, an initiative to develop a system  expected to
significantly strengthen the role of energy independence in the context of
national security. The system is expected to convert domestically generated
waste plastic and end-of-life tyres into JP-8 military aviation fuel and
baseload electricity directly at or near the point of use, reducing reliance
on long-distance, geopolitically exposed fuel supply chains.

At its core, the strategic rationale is driven by a fundamental reassessment
of modern military logistics. Conventional defence operations remain heavily
reliant on centralised refining capacity and complex maritime supply routes,
many of which traverse contested regions or strategic chokepoints. Recent
global conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine war and particularly
instability involving Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, have demonstrated that
these extended supply chains are no longer merely a cost or efficiency
consideration; they represent a critical vulnerability. Fuel disruption now
sits alongside cyber and communications failures as  a primary strategic risk
vector for sustained military readiness.

Project Fortress Fuel is intended to address this exposure by enabling
distributed, sovereign fuel production within national borders and, crucially,
at forward-operating bases and strategic installations. This decentralised
model is expected to reduce dependence on imported refined products and
mitigates the risk of interdiction, embargo, or kinetic disruption to maritime
fuel logistics. In effect, it has the potential to convert waste management
infrastructure into resilient energy security infrastructure.

The Fortress Fuel model is conceived as a self-sufficient system designed to
operate independently of external utilities such as electricity or water.
Strategically, it is expected to allow a location to remain operational even
if cut off from external supply chains. A typical production facility would be
designed to produce up to 28,000 tons of JP-8 fuel per year, equivalent to
approximately 221,000 barrels annually, while maintaining up to 12 months'
strategic supply of plastic feedstock on base to sustain continuous fuel
production.

The system is expected to be capable of producing both JP-8 combat aircraft
fuel and diesel, providing flexibility across air and ground operations. Its
feedstock is anticipated to be deliberately adaptable, allowing it to run on a
range of strategically stored materials, including waste plastic, heavy fuel
oil, and potentially coal or other carbon-rich solids.

In the event of power disruption in an active combat environment, the system
can be reconfigured to generate electricity, maintaining core base operations
without reliance on external infrastructure.

The underlying technology, InEnTec's commercially proven plasma gasification
process, offers a scalable and modular production architecture capable of
operating without external fuel inputs once commissioned. This is particularly
important from a defence planning perspective as it is expected to  support
energy self-sufficiency, reduce logistical tail requirements and enhance
operational endurance in contested conditions. Each unit is anticipated to be
capable of producing specification-grade JP-8 aviation fuel suitable for fast
jets, transport aircraft and rotary platforms, alongside dispatchable
electrical generation to support base operations, radar systems,
communications infrastructure and other critical life-support services.

From a national security standpoint, the implications extend beyond fuel
substitution. The system is expected to provide an alternative strategic
energy backbone that is resilient, geographically dispersible, and less
susceptible to single-point failure. It also has the potential to create a
circular security model, whereby domestic waste streams are transformed into
mission-critical defence assets, aligning environmental remediation with
military readiness.

HUI has prioritised jurisdictions where three structural factors converge:
high dependence on imported fuel, elevated geopolitical exposure, and
significant domestic waste availability. Its initial focus is placed on
markets facing acute operational urgency and total JP-8 import reliance, where
fuel security is directly linked to force projection capability and base
survivability. Its secondary focus is directed toward NATO-aligned and allied
markets where procurement frameworks, defence innovation funding mechanisms,
and sovereign resilience mandates already exist, thereby enabling accelerated
adoption pathways.

The United Kingdom is identified as a strategic entry point given the
alignment between the Ministry of Defence resilience doctrine, DESNZ
decarbonisation policy, and the emerging Sustainable Aviation Fuel mandate. In
parallel, KSA and neighbouring countries offer a highly relevant deployment
environment, combining high strategic energy demand with established sovereign
investment structures and existing engagement through HUI's infrastructure
activities.

Commercially, the Company's Fortress Fuel model remains focused on project
origination, structuring, and development upside, while maintaining limited
balance sheet exposure. Financing is expected to follow established sovereign
infrastructure models, including government-backed defence procurement
frameworks, institutional capital participation, and potential co-investment
from NATO-aligned and EU mechanisms such as the Innovation Fund and European
Investment Bank channels.

Overall, the associated capital and operating costs of Project Fortress Fuel
are expected to be substantially lower than those of comparable technologies
currently available, while offering greater resilience, fuel flexibility, and
operational continuity. It is anticipated that the cost per barrel will be
competitive with the existing market price for JP-8 fuel procured from
conventional sources and delivered to base.

The Board's assessment is that Project Fortress Fuel should not be viewed
through the conventional lens of alternative energy infrastructure competing
for decarbonisation capital. Rather, it should be viewed as a sovereign
capability system operating at the intersection of defence readiness, energy
independence, and national security resilience. In this context, fuel
production is not an industrial commodity issue,  it is a strategic defence
asset class, with procurement urgency driven by operational risk rather than
long-term sustainability targets.

Aleksandra Binkowska, Chief Executive Officer of HUI, commented: "In his book
Zero to One, Peter Thiel argues, quite rightly, that building a monopoly
around unique technology is far more powerful than competing in crowded
markets. That is precisely where we stand today, and where we are pivoting.

We believe there is no technology in the world comparable to InEnTec's
capability to convert waste plastic into usable fuels under extreme
conditions, including wartime disruption. This is exactly what Fortress Fuel
is about.

History repeatedly shows that humanity fails to learn from previous crises.
Frontline NATO countries, such as Poland, have witnessed first-hand how Russia
targets electric power supplies in wartime.

Any technology intended to supply forward-based fuel cannot afford to depend
on external electricity or water. It must be built on one uncompromising
principle: that everything could be shut off, and it will still operate at
full capacity.

Today, we face another compounded geopolitical and energy crisis. The
difference now is that we possess a solution that can help militaries and
nations protect critical fuel supplies, strengthen energy resilience, and
reduce dependence on vulnerable global supply chains."

Howard White, Non-Executive Chairman of HUI, commented: "As we move into the
defence sector, our focus is sharply defined by the strategic imperatives of
modern warfare. At the forefront of this strategy is Fortress Fuel, a project
designed to deliver a fully self-sufficient system capable of operating
independently under combat conditions. With the capability to produce up to
28,000 tonnes of military-grade JP-8 fuel, it ensures the continuous, on
demand supply required to sustain and extend aerial operations without
reliance on vulnerable external logistics.

This autonomy is fundamental. In an environment where supply chains are
increasingly targeted and disrupted, particularly in the evolving context of
drone warfare, any dependency on external inputs introduces risk. Fortress
Fuel, by contrast, is built to eliminate such vulnerabilities.

The system operates at Technology Readiness Level 9, reflecting a fully proven
and deployable solution from the outset. It is engineered to deliver fuel at a
cost below $150 per barrel, supported by secure, on-site feedstock sufficient
for over a year of sustained operation. In addition, it offers a critical
secondary capability: the generation of electricity to support base operations
in the event of power disruption.

In today's operational landscape, resilience and independence are not
optional, they are decisive advantages. Systems that depend on external inputs
are no longer strategic assets; they are liabilities. Fortress Fuel is
designed to meet this reality head-on."

Hydrogen Utopia International PLC

Aleksandra Binkowska                  

+44 78 8077 0880

 

Alfred Henry Corporate Finance Limited (LSE Corporate Adviser)

Nick Michaels/Maya Klein
Wassink                                                                         

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About Hydrogen Utopia International PLC 

 

HUI aims to become one of the leading new companies specialising in converting
non-recyclable mixed waste plastic into hydrogen and other carbon-free
fuels, new materials or distributed renewable heat.  

A HUI facility uses non-recyclable mixed waste plastic as feedstock and turns
it into syngas from which new products and energy can be produced. HUI
anticipates that its revenues will be derived from a variety of sources,
dependent upon location and configuration of the HUI facilities, including the
sale of syngas, hydrogen and other gases, electricity and heat sales, and the
payment to it of fees for a given quantity of non-recyclable mixed waste
plastic received at a HUI facility. 

HUI will target areas where there is significant private sector interest or
potential, financial backing is accessible and or where substantial government
funded sources of grants and loans are or may be available. The global
increase in fossil fuel-based energy prices reinforces the need for
alternative, price competitive energy sources, which HUI's business model can
provide. 

 

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