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Schroders Greencoat acquires majority stake in H2 and eFuels developer Meld Energy

Schroders Greencoat, the specialist energy transition investment manager of Schroders Capital, announced the acquisition of a majority stake in Meld Energy, a UK‑based green H2 developer. Schroders Greencoat will apply its established expertise in transition infrastructure, asset operation and the H2 market to support Meld from late‑stage development through construction and operations.

The transaction builds upon Schroders Greencoat’s leading position in green H2 as the UK’s largest investment manager in the space with over 300 MW under development. Three projects totaling 55 MW backed by Schroders Greencoat, through its joint venture Green H2 Energy Company (GHECO) with Carlton Power, were successful in the UK Government’s first H2 Allocation Round (HAR1). A Final Investment Decision is expected on the first of these projects at Barrow-in-Furness (Cumbria), before the end of the year.

Meld Energy’s flagship project - the Saltend Green H2 Hub at Saltend Chemicals Park, Hull - is a planned 100-MW electrolytic H2 facility with planning consent, designed to help decarbonize one of the UK’s most energy‑intensive industrial clusters.

Schroders Greencoat continues to build out its development capabilities alongside its core operating‑asset strategies, including the recent appointment of a three‑person specialist development team previously at Quinbrook Infrastructure Partners.

James Samworth, Co-Head of M&A, Schroders Greencoat, said, “Alongside our investments in energy transition assets, Schroders Greencoat is increasing its backing of development platforms. Our investment expertise and considerable experience of running assets creates a compelling advantage in complex markets, in turn unlocking unique opportunities for our clients. Meld is one of those platforms – they are developing a number of projects in highly strategic locations with strong fundamentals. We believe we can achieve big things together.”

Chris Smith, Founder & CEO, Meld Energy, said, “At Meld Energy we have always focused on getting the fundamentals right for large-scale H2 and clean fuel production and Schroders Greencoat’s investment is a massive boost to our project ambitions in the UK. Schroders Greencoat brings expert capital, unique in-house engineering understanding, and a long track record of working constructively with industrial partners and government. Their experience, expertise, and investment is a strong vote of confidence in our team and in Saltend’s potential to help decarbonize the Humber. Together we will be able to accelerate development at Saltend and across our project pipeline.”