EnergyPathways appoints Jacobs to support MESH project approvals

EnergyPathways has appointed Jacobs to deliver planning and consenting services for the Marram Energy Storage Hub project located off the East Irish Sea. The consultancy will also assist the company with its submission to the Office of Gas and Electricity Markets long duration energy storage cap and floor round. This funding mechanism includes a floor, which guarantees a minimum income for developers if market returns fall below a certain level, and a cap, which requires profits above a set threshold to be shared with consumers to reduce bills.

The MESH project aims to store offshore natural gas and hydrogen across up to 60 salt caverns. It also includes air energy storage, flexible hydrogen-to-power generation, and the production of hydrogen and graphite. Designated as a project of national significance by the UK Government when Ed Miliband served as energy secretary, the scheme is set to become the country’s largest long duration energy storage project, offering more than 100 hours of duration. Jacobs will provide strategic support for regulatory and planning activities to advance project approvals, including developing a stakeholder engagement plan for local councils and regional government. The firm will also handle the grid connection application and other workstreams required for the cap and floor round and a government development consent order submission, which will proceed in parallel.

Ben Clube, chief executive of EnergyPathways, stated that Jacobs’ experience in nationally significant infrastructure and complex engineering projects in the Northwest of England would be invaluable. He noted that the planning and regulatory process overseen by Jacobs will feed into the key submission under the cap and floor scheme, which will underpin the final investment decision. In May, EnergyPathways short-listed several potential sites for onshore facilities at Barrow-in-Furness. These facilities are envisioned to form a sustainable industrial park incorporating hydrogen, graphite, and clean ammonia production. A decision on this direction is pending the development consent order, which will pave the way for the final investment decision. The company also received its licence from the North Sea Transition Authority in May, following a rejection of its plans the previous year.