Dallas-based professional services giant Jacobs will help United Kingdom-based clean energy storage company EnergyPathways clear regulatory hurdles for an offshore project in the Irish Sea.

EnergyPathways’ Marram Energy Storage Hub, or MESH, Energy Storage Project will be about 11 miles from the English seaside town of Blackpool.

Jacobs will manage meeting the project’s requirements for the United Kingdom’s Development Consent Order. The U.K. government mandates that the country’s major infrastructure projects comply with the order. Jacobs’ work will involve consulting with communities, landowners and government agencies; adhering to environmental, marine and land-use regulations; and coordinating with regulators.

The companies didn’t disclose the deal’s financial terms.

Adding to the U.K.’s energy infrastructure

EnergyPathways said it plans to bring the MESH project online by 2031. MESH will be a key energy hub in Barrow-in-Furness, a British industrial-port town.

“As the U.K. accelerates investment in nationally significant energy infrastructure, successful delivery depends on a consenting strategy that integrates environmental stewardship and robust regulatory planning,” Richard Sanderson, executive vice president of Jacobs, said in a statement. “MESH represents an important infrastructure development for Barrow-in-Furness and the wider U.K. energy system.”

The project builds on Jacobs’ U.K. expertise in environmental planning, and energy and infrastructure projects. These projects include the Lower Thames Crossing tunnel project and the Thames Tideway Tunnel project.

The impact of MESH

MESH is expected to be one of the U.K.’s largest energy storage projects. It will offer 300 megawatts of power capacity, 55 gigawatt-hours of energy storage and more than 190 hours of storage duration. It will combine compressed air energy storage with natural gas storage designed to transition to hydrogen. The project’s long-term storage capabilities will benefit the generation of wind and solar power, Jacobs said.

“Jacobs’ extensive experience in other nationally significant government-led infrastructure and energy projects within the U.K. and their direct experience in delivering complex engineering projects in the northwest of England will be invaluable as we take MESH forward,” EnergyPathways CEO Ben Clube said in a statement.

Jacobs’ U.K. presence

Jacobs has ramped up its presence in the United Kingdom in recent years.

In March, the company completed its acquisition of London-based PA Consulting, a tech consulting firm. Jacobs had first invested in PA Consulting in 2021 and paid $1.6 billion to acquire the remaining interest.

Three months later, Jacobs joined the U.K. Government Commercial Agency’s supplier network for construction and infrastructure services.

Jacobs said it employs about 6,000 people in the U.K.