Energy Transition

EnergyPathways joining UK’s hydrogen storage planning group

Oct. 22, 2024

Britain’s Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has asked EnergyPathways to participate in the Hydrogen Storage Business Model (HSBM) Design Group of companies.

Related To: EnergyPathways plc

Marram Energy Storage Hub (MESH) is a new energy storage facility. The MESH facility has been designed as a fully decarbonized and electrified zero emission facility to be powered by the renewable wind farms of the UK Irish Sea region to avoid any GHG emissions from venting and flaring, according to EnergyPathways.

Britain’s Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ) has asked EnergyPathways to participate in the Hydrogen Storage Business Model (HSBM) Design Group of companies.

When the HSBM has been finalized following consultations, it will define DESNZ's investment support scheme for emerging UK hydrogen storage projects.

Assuming the department’s first Hydrogen Storage Allocation Round goes ahead next year, EnergyPathways intends to submit an application for its MESH natural gas and green hydrogen storage project.

The proposed MESH storage facility, offshore the Lancashire coast of northwest England, will be equivalent in size to the Centrica’s Rough gas storage site in the southern UK North Sea, capable of initially storing 50 Bcf of gas.

However, EnergyPathways has identified upside for a threefold expansion of the storage, including developing green hydrogen storage of ~1.5 TWh.

MESH is located close to 7-8 GW of planned and existing wind power developments, and according to the company, will be able to exploit curtailed wind energy at scale behind network constraints, with green hydrogen production and storage.

It could also connect green hydrogen supply to the emerging hydrogen markets under development nearby at the HyNet NorthWest blue hydrogen hub and carbon capture and storage (CCS) project.

Finally, MESH could be used to integrate and repurpose existing gas infrastructure locally to transport green hydrogen production to energy markets and provide hydrogen blended gas to decarbonize gas power generation.

EnergyPathways is working with various engineering contractors on MESH, with plans to deliver the pre-FEED by the end of 2024 and FID at the end of next year.