EnergyPathways applies for Irish Sea gas storage license

EnergyPathways has submitted an application for a gas storage license covering its planned MESH (Marram Energy Storage Hub) project in the UK East Irish Sea.

The application covers an offshore area that includes the company's 100%-owned Marram gas field.

The planned MESH energy storage facility, 11 miles from the Lancashire coast in northwest England, could provide a reliable supply of natural gas and green hydrogen to the UK market for at least 20 years, the company claims, with a subsurface geo-storage capacity estimated at ~50 Bcf of gas.

That would be similar in size to Centrica’s Rough storage facility in the southern North Sea, currently the UK's largest.

Various large engineering and energy companies interested in participating in MESH have sent letters of support for the application, which the North Sea Transition Authority will review.

EnergyPathways aims to progress negotiations with these companies over the next few months.

MESH facility has been designed as a fully decarbonized and electrified, zero-emission development that would be powered by the renewable wind farms in the Irish Sea region to avoid emissions from venting and flaring.

In the longer term, MESH could exploit the UK's excess wind power to produce and store green hydrogen. Nearby are 7-8 GW of existing and planned offshore wind farms, reusable gas pipelines and infrastructure, and planned carbon capture and storage projects.

Analysis suggests the project’s geo-storage reservoirs would offer high deliverability rates, allowing them to meet the UK's increasingly intermittent energy demand.

If the license application is successful, it would be integrated into the Marram project development plan ahead of FID.