Jacobs to Support UK MESH Energy Storage Project
Jacobs (NYSE: J) has been selected by EnergyPathways plc to provide consenting, regulatory and Development Consent Order (DCO) support for the MESH Energy Storage Project, a major proposed energy storage development intended to strengthen the United Kingdom’s energy security and support the transition toward a more flexible and resilient energy system.
Under the agreement, Jacobs will lead the planning and DCO strategy and delivery for the MESH project, with responsibilities spanning environmental planning, technical coordination and stakeholder engagement. The company will help EnergyPathways navigate the United Kingdom’s regulatory and planning framework as the project progresses through the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP) planning process.
EnergyPathways is targeting 2031 for the MESH Energy Storage Project to become operational, subject to the successful completion of the required consenting processes and the securing of project financing.
Major Long-Duration Energy Storage Development
MESH is planned for development in the Irish Sea, with associated onshore infrastructure connecting into Barrow-in-Furness in northwest England. With a proposed storage capacity of 300 MW and 55 GWh, the project is expected to become one of the United Kingdom’s largest integrated energy storage developments.
A key feature of MESH is its combination of compressed air energy storage (CAES), natural gas storage and hydrogen storage. The integrated approach is designed to provide ultra-long-duration energy storage, with the project capable of delivering more than 190 hours of storage.
The development is intended to play an important role in balancing the United Kingdom’s increasingly renewable electricity system. As the country adds greater volumes of intermittent generation from wind and other renewable sources, long-duration storage technologies can help manage periods when electricity production and demand do not align.
Energy storage facilities with extended discharge capabilities can store energy when supply is abundant and make it available during periods of higher demand or lower renewable generation. This capability can contribute to grid stability while improving the resilience of the wider energy system.
The MESH project’s combination of storage technologies is therefore intended to provide flexibility across different energy markets while supporting the broader decarbonization of the UK power sector.
Jacobs to Lead Consenting and Planning Strategy
Jacobs will play a central role in preparing MESH for the complex consenting requirements associated with nationally significant infrastructure. The company will manage the project’s DCO strategy and delivery while coordinating environmental and technical activities required to support the planning process.
The scope of work includes environmental planning, technical coordination and engagement with stakeholders throughout the development process. Jacobs will also work to integrate environmental assessment with the wider consenting strategy, helping ensure that technical studies, environmental considerations and regulatory requirements are aligned.
The company will engage with local authorities and regional government bodies as part of the stakeholder engagement program. It will also support EnergyPathways in its application for a grid connection and help coordinate statutory consents and technical studies with the overall project schedule.
Another important element of Jacobs’ role will be monitoring changes to legislation and planning policy. As the regulatory environment evolves, identifying potential consenting challenges at an early stage can help reduce project risks and prevent delays.
By coordinating planning, environmental, technical and regulatory workstreams, Jacobs aims to help EnergyPathways maintain momentum as MESH moves through the development and approval process.
Support for Long-Duration Storage Funding
Beyond the DCO process, Jacobs will support EnergyPathways with its planned submission to Ofgem’s forthcoming Long Duration Electricity Storage Cap and Floor financial mechanism.
The proposed Cap and Floor framework is intended to support investment in long-duration electricity storage by providing a revenue structure designed to improve investment certainty while allowing projects to participate in electricity markets.
For large-scale storage developments such as MESH, access to appropriate financing and revenue mechanisms will be an important component of progressing from development toward construction. Jacobs will therefore contribute environmental and technical expertise to the EnergyPathways submission while ensuring that these workstreams remain aligned with the project’s wider consenting strategy.
The combined focus on planning, environmental assessment, grid connection and financial support mechanisms reflects the complex development requirements facing major energy infrastructure projects in the UK.
Supporting UK Energy Security
The MESH project comes at a time when the United Kingdom is seeking to increase energy security while expanding renewable electricity generation. The growth of offshore wind and other variable renewable technologies is increasing the need for flexible resources capable of balancing supply and demand.
Long-duration energy storage can provide an alternative to relying solely on short-duration battery systems for managing longer periods of system imbalance. By providing storage for potentially more than 190 hours, MESH is designed to address extended periods when renewable generation may be lower than electricity demand.
The integration of hydrogen and natural gas storage alongside compressed air energy storage also gives the project a broader energy-system role. This integrated model could allow MESH to contribute to both electricity system flexibility and wider energy resilience.
Jacobs Executive Vice President Richard Sanderson said the successful delivery of nationally significant energy infrastructure depends on a consenting strategy that combines environmental stewardship with effective regulatory planning.
He described MESH as an important infrastructure development for Barrow-in-Furness and the wider UK energy system, adding that Jacobs’ experience with complex infrastructure projects and the DCO process would help EnergyPathways navigate planning and regulatory requirements while maintaining project progress.
EnergyPathways Welcomes Jacobs’ Expertise
EnergyPathways CEO Ben Clube welcomed Jacobs to the MESH project team and highlighted the company’s experience in major UK infrastructure and energy developments.
Clube said Jacobs’ experience with nationally significant government-led infrastructure and energy projects, combined with its engineering expertise in northwest England, would be valuable as EnergyPathways advances the MESH development.
The partnership brings together EnergyPathways’ focus on integrated energy storage with Jacobs’ experience in planning, environmental assessment, engineering coordination and regulatory delivery.
Jacobs’ Growing CAES Expertise
The appointment also builds on Jacobs’ growing expertise in compressed air energy storage. Since 2023, the company has invested in developing capabilities around CAES technology, recognizing its potential role in providing long-duration energy storage as electricity systems transition toward higher shares of renewable generation.
Jacobs has developed capabilities covering technical assessments across the project lifecycle as well as cost and benefit analysis comparing compressed air storage with alternative energy storage technologies.
This experience positions the company to support projects from early development and feasibility through consenting and delivery. Its involvement in MESH represents another application of that expertise within the UK’s emerging long-duration energy storage market.
Jacobs also brings extensive experience delivering complex infrastructure through the UK’s DCO framework. Its previous involvement includes work on the Lower Thames Crossing program, where it served as integration partner, as well as its role as program manager for the Thames Tideway Tunnel project.
As the MESH project progresses, coordinating environmental requirements, regulatory approvals, technical studies, stakeholder engagement, grid connection activities and financing requirements will remain critical.
With a targeted operational date of 2031, EnergyPathways and Jacobs will now work through the necessary planning and consenting milestones required to advance the project. If successfully delivered, MESH could become a significant component of the UK’s long-duration energy storage infrastructure, helping improve system flexibility, strengthen energy resilience and support the country’s ongoing transition toward a lower-carbon electricity system.
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