Displaying items by tag: Wales

UK: Heidelberg Materials has reached a Final Investment Decision (FID) with the UK Government for its carbon capture and storage (CCS) project at the Padeswood cement works in north Wales, clearing the way for construction to begin later in 2025.

Energy Minister Michael Shanks announced the decision today, which will enable Heidelberg Materials to produce net-zero cement by 2029. The project will capture around 0.8Mt/yr of CO₂, approximately 95% of emissions from the cement works, and transport them via pipeline for storage under Liverpool Bay as part of the HyNet North West project.

Simon Willis, CEO of Heidelberg Materials UK, said “Our constructive partnership with the UK Government has allowed us to reach this major milestone, which is fantastic news, not just for us, but for the industry as a whole. Our new facility at Padeswood will be a world-leader. It will allow us to produce evoZero carbon captured net zero cement, which will help the UK construction industry reach its decarbonisation aims.”

The project is expected to create 50 new jobs, and generate up to 500 more during construction. It is the UK’s first full-scale CCS project for cement and follows Heidelberg Materials’ recent success in Norway, where it launched the world’s first carbon capture facility at its Brevik cement plant in June 2025. Here, 50% of the plant’s emissions are being captured as part of the Norwegian government’s Longship programme.

The UK-based Mineral Products Association (MPA) has celebrated this step, with Dr Diana Casey, Executive Director for Energy and Climate Change, Cement and Lime, saying “The green light for the UK’s first carbon capture-enabled cement plant at Padeswood is a landmark step on the road to decarbonising our domestic cement industry – it will safeguard existing skilled jobs and create new opportunities too. Public investment in this project provides a strong vote of confidence in the technology and recognises the vital role cement plays in supporting economic growth while delivering on the transition to net zero. Decarbonising heavy industry is not only essential for meeting climate goals, but also for securing the future of communities across the country – today’s announcement delivers on both.”

UK: Heidelberg Materials UK has secured planning permission to build a carbon capture plant at its Padeswood cement works in north Wales. The facility will capture up to 800,000t/yr of CO₂ for storage via the HyNet North West pipeline under Liverpool Bay.

The project is expected to create around 50 new full-time jobs, and up to 500 additional jobs during construction. Once operational, the Padeswood facility will capture ‘almost all’ of the CO₂ produced at the cement works and enable the production of evoZero cement by 2029.

UK: Hanson UK says that its planned installation of a carbon capture system at its Padeswood cement plant in Flintshire has proceeded to the due diligence and negotiations stage. The project aims to achieve net zero CO₂ cement production by capturing 800,000t/yr of CO₂. It is part of the HyNet North West array of projects, which combines green hydrogen and carbon capture to build a first-of-its-kind industrial decarbonisation cluster.

Hanson UK CEO Simon Willis said “I would like to thank the government and all of those that supported us in our bid to receive funding which will enable us to help decarbonise the construction industry and meet our overall ambition to become a net zero business. This global exemplar project will provide net zero construction materials for major projects across the country, from new offshore wind farms and nuclear power stations to clean transport infrastructure.”

UK: The UK government has committed to investments worth Euro22.8bn in early deployments of carbon capture technology. It will announce a shortlist of new projects for deployment later in March 2022.

The government said "This unprecedented level of funding for the sector will unlock private investment and job creation across the UK, particularly on the east coast and in the North West of England and North Wales. It will also kick-start the delivery of subsequent phases of this new sustainable industry in the UK."

Ireland-based Ecocem responded to the budget with a call for funding for more short-term areas besides carbon capture. It said these will be essential in order for the UK cement and concrete industry to reach its 45% decarbonisation target by 2030. The slag-based cement products company called for funding for low-clinker technologies which have already been developed and can be rolled out at scale before 2030, until carbon capture becomes a 'scalable, viable option.'