The information contained within this announcement is deemed by the Company to constitute inside information stipulated under the Market Abuse Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014 as it forms part of UK domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018.  Upon the publication of this announcement via the Regulatory Information Service, this inside information is now considered to be in the public domain.  

5 May 2026

Hydrogen Utopia International PLC

(the "Company" or "HUI")

HUI to enter military market with Fortress Fuel

Hydrogen Utopia International PLC ("HUI"), a pioneer in transforming non-recyclable mixed waste into clean hydrogen, carbon-free fuels, advanced materials, and distributed renewable heat, is delighted to announce the launch of Project Fortress Fuel, an initiative to develop a system  expected to significantly strengthen the role of energy independence in the context of national security. The system is expected to convert domestically generated waste plastic and end-of-life tyres into JP-8 military aviation fuel and baseload electricity directly at or near the point of use, reducing reliance on long-distance, geopolitically exposed fuel supply chains.

At its core, the strategic rationale is driven by a fundamental reassessment of modern military logistics. Conventional defence operations remain heavily reliant on centralised refining capacity and complex maritime supply routes, many of which traverse contested regions or strategic chokepoints. Recent global conflicts, including the Russia-Ukraine war and particularly instability involving Iran and the Strait of Hormuz, have demonstrated that these extended supply chains are no longer merely a cost or efficiency consideration; they represent a critical vulnerability. Fuel disruption now sits alongside cyber and communications failures as  a primary strategic risk vector for sustained military readiness.

Project Fortress Fuel is intended to address this exposure by enabling distributed, sovereign fuel production within national borders and, crucially, at forward-operating bases and strategic installations. This decentralised model is expected to reduce dependence on imported refined products and mitigates the risk of interdiction, embargo, or kinetic disruption to maritime fuel logistics. In effect, it has the potential to convert waste management infrastructure into resilient energy security infrastructure.

The Fortress Fuel model is conceived as a self-sufficient system designed to operate independently of external utilities such as electricity or water. Strategically, it is expected to allow a location to remain operational even if cut off from external supply chains. A typical production facility would be designed to produce up to 28,000 tons of JP-8 fuel per year, equivalent to approximately 221,000 barrels annually, while maintaining up to 12 months' strategic supply of plastic feedstock on base to sustain continuous fuel production.

The system is expected to be capable of producing both JP-8 combat aircraft fuel and diesel, providing flexibility across air and ground operations. Its feedstock is anticipated to be deliberately adaptable, allowing it to run on a range of strategically stored materials, including waste plastic, heavy fuel oil, and potentially coal or other carbon-rich solids.

In the event of power disruption in an active combat environment, the system can be reconfigured to generate electricity, maintaining core base operations without reliance on external infrastructure.

The underlying technology, InEnTec's commercially proven plasma gasification process, offers a scalable and modular production architecture capable of operating without external fuel inputs once commissioned. This is particularly important from a defence planning perspective as it is expected to  support energy self-sufficiency, reduce logistical tail requirements and enhance operational endurance in contested conditions. Each unit is anticipated to be capable of producing specification-grade JP-8 aviation fuel suitable for fast jets, transport aircraft and rotary platforms, alongside dispatchable electrical generation to support base operations, radar systems, communications infrastructure and other critical life-support services.

From a national security standpoint, the implications extend beyond fuel substitution. The system is expected to provide an alternative strategic energy backbone that is resilient, geographically dispersible, and less susceptible to single-point failure. It also has the potential to create a circular security model, whereby domestic waste streams are transformed into mission-critical defence assets, aligning environmental remediation with military readiness.

HUI has prioritised jurisdictions where three structural factors converge: high dependence on imported fuel, elevated geopolitical exposure, and significant domestic waste availability. Its initial focus is placed on markets facing acute operational urgency and total JP-8 import reliance, where fuel security is directly linked to force projection capability and base survivability. Its secondary focus is directed toward NATO-aligned and allied markets where procurement frameworks, defence innovation funding mechanisms, and sovereign resilience mandates already exist, thereby enabling accelerated adoption pathways.

The United Kingdom is identified as a strategic entry point given the alignment between the Ministry of Defence resilience doctrine, DESNZ decarbonisation policy, and the emerging Sustainable Aviation Fuel mandate. In parallel, KSA and neighbouring countries offer a highly relevant deployment environment, combining high strategic energy demand with established sovereign investment structures and existing engagement through HUI's infrastructure activities.

Commercially, the Company's Fortress Fuel model remains focused on project origination, structuring, and development upside, while maintaining limited balance sheet exposure. Financing is expected to follow established sovereign infrastructure models, including government-backed defence procurement frameworks, institutional capital participation, and potential co-investment from NATO-aligned and EU mechanisms such as the Innovation Fund and European Investment Bank channels.

Overall, the associated capital and operating costs of Project Fortress Fuel are expected to be substantially lower than those of comparable technologies currently available, while offering greater resilience, fuel flexibility, and operational continuity. It is anticipated that the cost per barrel will be competitive with the existing market price for JP-8 fuel procured from conventional sources and delivered to base.

The Board's assessment is that Project Fortress Fuel should not be viewed through the conventional lens of alternative energy infrastructure competing for decarbonisation capital. Rather, it should be viewed as a sovereign capability system operating at the intersection of defence readiness, energy independence, and national security resilience. In this context, fuel production is not an industrial commodity issue,  it is a strategic defence asset class, with procurement urgency driven by operational risk rather than long-term sustainability targets.

Aleksandra Binkowska, Chief Executive Officer of HUI, commented: "In his book Zero to One, Peter Thiel argues, quite rightly, that building a monopoly around unique technology is far more powerful than competing in crowded markets. That is precisely where we stand today, and where we are pivoting.

We believe there is no technology in the world comparable to InEnTec's capability to convert waste plastic into usable fuels under extreme conditions, including wartime disruption. This is exactly what Fortress Fuel is about.

History repeatedly shows that humanity fails to learn from previous crises. Frontline NATO countries, such as Poland, have witnessed first-hand how Russia targets electric power supplies in wartime.

Any technology intended to supply forward-based fuel cannot afford to depend on external electricity or water. It must be built on one uncompromising principle: that everything could be shut off, and it will still operate at full capacity.

Today, we face another compounded geopolitical and energy crisis. The difference now is that we possess a solution that can help militaries and nations protect critical fuel supplies, strengthen energy resilience, and reduce dependence on vulnerable global supply chains."

Howard White, Non-Executive Chairman of HUI, commented: "As we move into the defence sector, our focus is sharply defined by the strategic imperatives of modern warfare. At the forefront of this strategy is Fortress Fuel, a project designed to deliver a fully self-sufficient system capable of operating independently under combat conditions. With the capability to produce up to 28,000 tonnes of military-grade JP-8 fuel, it ensures the continuous, on demand supply required to sustain and extend aerial operations without reliance on vulnerable external logistics.

This autonomy is fundamental. In an environment where supply chains are increasingly targeted and disrupted, particularly in the evolving context of drone warfare, any dependency on external inputs introduces risk. Fortress Fuel, by contrast, is built to eliminate such vulnerabilities.

The system operates at Technology Readiness Level 9, reflecting a fully proven and deployable solution from the outset. It is engineered to deliver fuel at a cost below $150 per barrel, supported by secure, on-site feedstock sufficient for over a year of sustained operation. In addition, it offers a critical secondary capability: the generation of electricity to support base operations in the event of power disruption.

In today's operational landscape, resilience and independence are not optional, they are decisive advantages. Systems that depend on external inputs are no longer strategic assets; they are liabilities. Fortress Fuel is designed to meet this reality head-on."

Hydrogen Utopia International PLC 

Aleksandra Binkowska                   

+44 78 8077 0880

Alfred Henry Corporate Finance Limited (LSE Corporate Adviser) 

Nick Michaels/Maya Klein Wassink                                                                          

+44 20 8064 4056 

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About Hydrogen Utopia International PLC  

HUI aims to become one of the leading new companies specialising in converting non-recyclable mixed waste plastic into hydrogen and other carbon-free fuels, new materials or distributed renewable heat.   

A HUI facility uses non-recyclable mixed waste plastic as feedstock and turns it into syngas from which new products and energy can be produced. HUI anticipates that its revenues will be derived from a variety of sources, dependent upon location and configuration of the HUI facilities, including the sale of syngas, hydrogen and other gases, electricity and heat sales, and the payment to it of fees for a given quantity of non-recyclable mixed waste plastic received at a HUI facility.  

HUI will target areas where there is significant private sector interest or potential, financial backing is accessible and or where substantial government funded sources of grants and loans are or may be available. The global increase in fossil fuel-based energy prices reinforces the need for alternative, price competitive energy sources, which HUI's business model can provide.