The Port of Barrow is set to become home to the UK’s largest energy storage facility.
EnergyPathways wants to create the integrated facility, which will comprise compressed air energy storage, natural gas storage transitioning to hydrogen storage and complementary hydrogen production for clean power and sustainable industry uses in the east Irish Sea and Barrow.
It has signed a collaboration agreement with ABP, which runs the Port of Barrow to investigate the feasibility of housing the facility there.
In September, the project was designated by the Government as having national significance and last week, EnergyPathways was granted a gas storage licence by the North Sea Transition Authority.
It said the licence spanned a substantial offshore area that could support the construction of up to 60 large-scale, sub-surface salt storage caverns with potential for multi-terawatt hour energy storage, subject to consents and financing.
At ABP’s Port of Barrow, the two companies will examine the feasibility of building:
- a CAES storage operations base
- a gas and hydrogen storage operations base
- connection infrastructure for the project’s offshore storage facilities
- hydrogen and graphite production facilities
- sustainable industrial processing and export facilities
The development of the facilities would be subject to a commercial agreement between ABP and EnergyPathways, the firm said and the securing of financing and planning approvals for the MESH energy storage development.
Ben Clube, CEO of EnergyPathways, said: “We are delighted to be working with ABP, the UK’s leading and largest ports group. This relationship highlights the significant opportunities that our MESH integrated energy storage project can bring to Barrow and the UK’s energy and industrial sectors.
“MESH can play an important role in supporting Barrow’s long-term development as a key hub for energy infrastructure and its potential to play a central role in the UK’s future energy system.
“ABP’s Port of Barrow provides access to our offshore storage development areas in the East Irish Sea alongside strategically located land, port facilities and export infrastructure that could be well suited to supporting MESH’s onshore facilities and production units.
“This marks another important milestone for the MESH Project as it progresses towards Final Investment Decision, building momentum across key development workstreams.”
Ralph Windeatt, business development director at ABP said: “ABP has a strong track record supporting energy projects of national significance.
“The Port of Barrow, specifically, has played a key role in the development and operation of the offshore wind industry in the Irish Sea.
“The MESH Project is an opportunity to further strengthen the port’s long-term future, and support the delivery of Barrow’s masterplan and contribute to the UK’s energy transition.”
EnergyPathways, with its Tier One partnership group, including Siemens Energy, Costain plc, Wood plc and Zenith Energy will now progress the project to a Final Investment Decision in 2028 and start up by late 2031, subject to planning and associated approvals, it added.
