On Monday, Michelle Scrogham MP hosted a dinner in the House of Commons on behalf of EnergyPathways plc on Long Duration Energy Storage (LDES) and the UK's energy security and transition.

Ben Clube, CEO of EnergyPathways, explained our proposed MESH LDES project in the Irish Sea — an integrated compressed air, hydrogen and gas storage scheme with fast response flexibility, multi-day storage and the ability to reduce energy system costs. MESH is set to be the UK's largest LDES project, offering wide ranging benefits to the UK’s future energy system and to the Barrow/Cumbria economy.

Siemens Energy set out why they see MESH as a significant project and its importance for the UK’s energy future, before a wide ranging discussion about the LDES technology landscape, the UK’s policy landscape and the market mechanisms needed to achieve its Clean Power 2030 ambitions and beyond, as well as the potential positive impacts to harness regional jobs and skills.

The Government has designated MESH as a ‘project of national significance’, and it is increasingly deemed a flagship UK energy security project, but some clear asks emerged: accelerate the cap and floor scheme with a rolling investment pipeline, and fix grid and planning bottlenecks specifically for LDES.

Thanks to Michelle Scrogham MP for hosting, and to Lord Alan Whitehead, Lord Walney (John Woodcock), Sir Nic Dakin MP and Team Barrow’s Peter Anstiss, who joined for such a constructive discussion.

Thank you also to our partners Siemens Energy, Jacobs, Costain, Baringa, Zenith Energy and Burness Paull for their expert input.