SUSTAINABILITY PROGRESS ON


BMJ: What is Heidelberg Materials doing to push the sustainability agenda? Andy Simpson: We are committed to fulfilling our role in meeting the UK government’s net zero ambitions. Our pathway towards carbon neutrality has been ongoing for many years and we have made significant progress, cutting CO2 emissions in the UK by almost 50 per cent between 1990 and 2020.


We follow a clear, science-based approach to reducing our carbon footprint through product and process innovation as well as industrial- scale carbon capture and storage. Last year we announced our revised UK sustainability commitments for 2030 and beyond, which are at the heart of everything we do and provide a stepping stone to achieving our 2050 net zero ambitions. They reflect the Heidelberg Materials Group sustainability strategy but take key UK drivers into account, giving clear and measurable goals to help us build a more sustainable future. Our updated commitments cover topics under four headings: net zero, circular and resilient, safe and inclusive and nature positive. They link with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals to demonstrate that we are in line with global action.


We are also working hard to conserve natural materials, promote the circular economy and decarbonise our products. Our recycling business line, created in 2023, will allow us to provide the most sustainable products to our customers through circularity and innovation to enable building more, with less.


BMJ: What has Heidelberg Materials done to be more sustainable and what difference has it made to the company? AS: Our cement business is the source of more than 90 per cent of our CO2


emissions, so is a


key focus in our decarbonisation plan. Around 70 per cent of these emissions arise from the chemical reactions that take place during production, with the balance coming from the fuels used to power the kilns. Carbon capture and storage (CCS) technologies have the potential to remove


the process emissions completely and we are actively working on an industry-leading CCS project at our Padeswood cement works in north Wales.


Once operational it would capture up to 800,000 tonnes of CO2


a year from the


existing cement works, preventing it from entering the atmosphere. Our proposals are currently going through planning and permitting and, subject to consenting and agreement of the Industrial Carbon Capture contract with the Government, construction will start in Q3 2025, and the plant could start producing evoZero carbon captured net zero cement as early as 2029.


Another type of CCS technology, C-Capture, is being trialled at our Ketton works in Rutland. This uses a solvent to selectively capture CO2


CARBON NEUTRALITY


Heidelberg Materials cut its carbon emissions in half over a 10-year period. BMJ asks packed products director Andy Simpson how and what’s next


Packaging is another area where we have made significant progress to reduce the amount of plastic and develop more sustainable options. We have increased the recycled content of the bags while ensuring they are still 100 per cent recyclable. Our Tough Bag is the toughest paper cement bag in the market – 50% stronger than any other – so it’s still highly resistant to splits and tears. In September 2023 we announced the creation of a new recycling business line to reflect our commitment to conserving natural materials, promoting the circular economy and decarbonising our products. Recycling, reusing and reducing the use of primary raw materials is crucial to reaching net zero and this new business line will enable more to be built with less.


and is one of the most


energy-efficient post combustion carbon capture methodologies developed to date. We are also working on several projects to switch from fossil fuels to carbon neutral sources, including hydrogen, to power our cement kilns and production plant across our business.


BMJ: What has Heidelberg Materials been doing that will be of benefit to its customers in terms of sustainability? AS: We are committed to reducing carbon emissions at every stage of our business – from manufacture to delivery – and helping our customers decarbonise.


We have switched to a zero-carbon energy tariff and continue to invest in plant efficiency across our operations. We are also progressing a range of innovative projects including carbon capture and storage (CCS) and using hydrogen as a fuel source in production.


We already offer merchants lower carbon packed products, including 40N concrete, which includes GGBS, a readily available lower carbon cement replacement. And, all our packed grey cements, like General Purpose cement, are CEM II A-LL blends, meaning they contain less clinker and more limestone, reducing embodied CO2


. March 2025 www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net


BMJ: What do merchants need to know about what Heidelberg Materials is doing? AS: Merchants play a vital role in distributing our products and we continue to collaborate and support them in providing the right products to their customers to maximise sales, margin and profits.


We’ve developed a new suite of assets specifically for merchants, including social media graphics, point of sale material, advertisement templates and pack images for use on their own channels. They are available to download on our website at: www. packedproducts.heidelbergmaterials.co.uk. We’ve invested in low emission and low carbon vehicles and give merchants the flexibility to choose what products – and how much of them – they order to help maximise stock efficiencies and sales by offering mixed product deliveries. These can be provided from our core lines, such as Multicem and PostFix, as well as base aggregates, enabling merchants to order a full load, minimising vehicle miles.


Our Merchant Academy gives merchants the knowledge they need about our core cement and ready-to-use products to provide the best possible service to their customers. BMJ


23


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