Good Morning Team.
Let’s get right to it.
I wrote a letter to our illustrious Net Zero Overlord last month, imploring him to make a decision on the MESH project.
It appears from the response that we are, genuinely getting there.
And when that signature lands, we need to be ready.
Thankfully, when it comes to the UK's net-zero transition, few companies are executing with the strategic clarity of Energy Pathways.
In the space of a week, the company has announced three transformative partnerships for its flagship MESH project:
a Memorandum of Understanding with Hazer Group for a hydrogen and graphite production facility,
a technology engagement with Siemens Energy to lead the feasibility work, and;
an engagement with Costain to assess onshore facility options on the full MESH system.
Yes, that Siemens.
Together, these partnerships begin to unlock what may become the UK’s most important long-term clean energy infrastructure project — an integrated, dispatchable, low-carbon energy system capable of providing up to 20 TWh of energy storage, synthetic graphite and ammonia production, and firm low-carbon power to back up intermittent renewables.
Deal #1: Hazer Technology Secured for UK Hydrogen, Ammonia and Graphite Facility
On 15 July, EPP announced a major step forward in its clean hydrogen plans — signing an MOU with Hazer Group, the Australian pioneer of methane pyrolysis technology, with access to global deployment support via KBR, the US-based engineering giant that dominates the ammonia and methanol market.
KBR sports a $6 billion market capitalisation.
Under this agreement, Energy Pathways will work with Hazer and KBR to develop a 90MW bolt-on hydrogen facility as part of the wider MESH energy system. The facility is expected to produce 20,000 tonnes of hydrogen per year, alongside 60,000 tonnes of synthetic graphite, and clean ammonia for domestic use and export.
Together, maybe $200 million in revenue a year, on top of everything else.
Crucially, Hazer’s methane pyrolysis process converts methane into hydrogen and graphite without producing CO₂ emissions — making it a much cleaner option than traditional SMR (Steam Methane Reforming).
CEO Ben Clube enthused:
‘The MOU and partnership to use Hazer technology is a significant milestone for the Company's plans to provide the UK with affordable, reliable low-carbon energy and energy products including clean ammonia and graphite.’
This facility is more than just a technical proof point — it directly aligns with UK government policy. Methane pyrolysis has been recognised as an eligible technology under the Hydrogen Allocation Round, opening up access to public funding.
Graphite, too, has been officially designated a critical mineral by the UK government, which currently imports nearly 100% of its supply from China.
Ironically (good pub quiz question) pencils were invented after a massive deposit of solid graphite was discovered in Borrowdale, being the only place in the world with pieces large enough to cut into solid rods.
Yeah, we import that now.
Sigh.
Anyway, EPP is positioning itself as a strategic domestic producer at a time when carbon border taxes, like the UK’s upcoming Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) in 2027, will reshape the economics of importing carbon-intensive products like ammonia.
In EPP’s own words, ‘The Company aims to competitively produce clean ammonia domestically, supporting UK re-industrialisation and reducing reliance on high-emission, fossil fuel-based ammonia imports.’
So good news.
Deal #2: Siemens Energy Tapped for MESH System Feasibility Work
But then, just a few days later, even better news.
EPP followed up with another heavyweight partnership — this time with Siemens Energy, one of the world’s largest energy technology providers, with over 6,500 staff in the UK.
€75 billion market capitalisation.
As a frame of reference, EPP has a market cap of just £9 million, even after the surge.
Siemens has been tasked with conducting a comprehensive feasibility study for the full MESH system — covering compressed air energy storage (CAES), hydrogen storage, gas compression, and system-wide integration.
It will assess technical and commercial options, grid integration opportunities, and help lay the groundwork for detailed modelling and design.
Clube commented:
‘The Siemens Energy engagement will ensure the MESH project optimally joins up UK energy assets so that the MESH LDES and gas storage systems efficiently harness curtailed offshore wind power and convert it into low carbon flexible power supply when needed by consumers.’
Importantly, Siemens brings to the table unique capabilities in both LDES compressed air systems and electrical gas compression — core technologies that will underpin the energy flexibility and grid resilience of MESH.
This work will also directly support the ambitions of the UK’s National Energy System Operator (NESO), which has already flagged long-duration energy storage as essential for balancing the growing share of renewables in the power system.
The key quote?
‘This represents yet another engagement by EnergyPathways with a Tier-1 energy company… as we seek to deliver a compelling economic and technical energy solution for the UK.’
Deal #3: Costain engaged to assess onshore facility options for the MESH
And today, EPP announced a strategic engagement with Costain, who will undertake a comparative assessment exercise to identify the best solution from the various onshore facilities location options identified for the MESH project.
Costain is a publicly listed Tier 1 infrastructure company that is highly involved in the engineering and construction of critical projects in the transportation, water, energy and defence markets.
The comparative assessment will involve analysing each of the onshore location options, with a primary focus on assessing the impact of reusing existing infrastructure versus new/greenfield options and connections to National Gas, electrical distribution networks, port facilities and offshore gas pipelines.
Costain's engagement provides the MESH project with access to highly experienced personnel who have extensive local knowledge of the various locations, challenges, infrastructure and communities and stakeholders within the North-West of England as well as the UK government's policy framework for energy transition.
It also has extensive experience in the development of salt caverns within the UK, making it an ideal partner to complement EPP's already established key partnerships and alliances with Wood, Siemens, Hazer, KBR, Mermaid Subsea Services, and Zenith Energy.
The list is getting longer.
Clube enthused:
‘We are delighted to have entered into this engagement with Costain, a tier 1, UK-headquartered infrastructure company with extensive engineering knowledge and experience of the North-West region. Costain's expertise will be invaluable in optimising the location for the MESH onshore facilities. Costain also brings relevant experience across several important aspects of the MESH project, including salt cavern development and in emerging technologies in the context of the UK government energy policy settings. This engagement continues the selection by EnergyPathways of world-class strategic partners with the expertise and experience to deliver a large-scale low-carbon integrated energy solution of national significance. In collaboration with our consortium of appointed Tier-1 partners, EnergyPathways' team continues to progress MESH to a "ready-to-go" status, so that we can move swiftly to FID and deliver on the UK's energy transition ambitions and help provide affordable energy to UK homes and businesses upon award of relevant licences and permits.’
MESH: The UK's Next-Gen Energy Superhub
At the centre of all this activity is the MESH project — a visionary, multi-vector clean energy hub that combines:
Offshore natural gas storage (in depleted gas fields)
Hydrogen production and storage (in salt caverns)
Compressed air energy storage (CAES)
Clean ammonia and synthetic graphite production
Grid-integrated, dispatchable low-carbon power generation, including hydrogen-ready turbines and potentially fuel cells
MESH is designed to solve one of the hardest challenges of the energy transition: how to back up intermittent wind and solar with flexible, clean, scalable energy.
When the wind is strong, excess power will be used to compress air and generate hydrogen for storage. When the wind drops, this stored energy will be used to generate dispatchable electricity — through air expansion turbines, gas turbines, or hydrogen-compatible generators.
Add in the potential for CCS (carbon capture and storage) and integration with the UK's emerging Project Union hydrogen network, and MESH becomes not just a power asset, but a full-spectrum, net-zero-aligned energy system.
Industrial Strategy Meets Climate Goals
MESH is also a clear industrial strategy play. By producing synthetic graphite and ammonia domestically, EnergyPathways is hedging the UK against rising geopolitical risk and supply chain fragility.
As the UK decarbonises, it will need vast amounts of clean hydrogen and critical materials — both for internal use and export. MESH will also anchor re-industrialisation in the North West, power green manufacturing, and ensure the UK captures value from its own energy resources.
Moreover, by integrating with offshore wind in the East Irish Sea, MESH also provides a powerful pathway for curtailed wind to be monetised and stored, rather than wasted — a key issue for developers and regulators alike.
We’re wasting £1 billion a year on this - and I don’t know about you, but that stings when I consider my many tax bills.
Oh - also. Centrica may be closing Rough down.
Fancy another energy bill crisis?
Strategic Implications for EnergyPathways
These three announcements - along with Centrica’s repeated threats to plunge UK energy security into chaos without extensive government sugar - solidify Energy Pathways’ position as a high-conviction infrastructure developer capable of stitching together the complex puzzle pieces of the UK's future energy system:
The Hazer deal secures exclusive UK access to a proven low-carbon hydrogen production method, backed by a global engineering major.
The Siemens engagement validates the project’s credibility and technical ambition.
Costain’s involvement will be invaluable in optimising the location for the MESH onshore facilities.
The MESH design aligns closely with government funding priorities, net-zero timelines, and security-of-supply concerns.
EPP is not betting on a single technology.
It is orchestrating a full-stack energy system, with long-term government policy tailwinds and significant decarbonisation potential.
The Bottom Line
EnergyPathways has made it clear: the energy transition will be won not by singular technologies, but by integrated systems. And with MESH, the company is building a blueprint for just that — a fully decarbonised, flexible, and resilient energy hub that can power the UK’s clean future.
It’s early days, but with Siemens, Hazer and Costain now at the table, EnergyPathways is no longer just a promising developer — it is shaping up to become a cornerstone of the UK’s net-zero infrastructure.
Now all we need is that damn signature.