NEWS EXTRA
LATER THIS YEAR Heidelberg Materials’ Padeswood cement works in North Wales will be home to the first phase of a major step forward on the route to decarbonizing the construction sector.
The group is building the world’s first carbon capture facility to enable fully
decarbonised cement production after reaching a FID (Final Investment Decision) with the UK Government for its carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in north Wales. It means the production of net zero cement could be onstream in 2029. Simon Willis, CEO at
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 capture
around 800,000 tonnes of CO2 a year from our existing cement works, allowing us to produce evoZero carbon captured net zero cement, which will help the UK construction industry reach its decarbonisation aims. “CCS is a growing sector worldwide and our Padeswood project is an exemplar, helping position the UK as a global force at the forefront of this technology. It will also pave the way to decarbonising our domestic cement industry, helping it remain competitive while mitigating against climate change.”
Cement is an essential construction material. It is the ‘glue’ in concrete, the most widely used building material in the world, but its production gives rise to CO2
Left: (l to r) Michael Shanks Energy Minister, Anna McMorrin Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State in Wales Office, Simon Willis CEO, Heidelberg Materials UK
HEIDELBERG
from the kiln include biogenic CO2
from biomass fuels, mainly from domestic food, wood and paper wastes that cannot be recycled, which could allow the cement produced at Padeswood to be net negative.
.
As these emissions result from the chemical process involved in cement’s manufacture, they cannot be avoided by using low carbon or renewable energy sources. The only way to remove them and produce the net zero cement the UK needs is to capture them using CCS before they enter the atmosphere. The carbon capture facility at Padeswood is designed to capture almost all (around 95%) of the CO2 emissions from the process. The emissions captured
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The Padeswood’s CCS project is one of two trailblazing projects, the other being the world’s first full-scale carbon capture-enabled waste-to-energy facilities at Protos in Ellesmere Port, developed by
Encyclis.The carbon captured at Padeswood will be compressed and transported via an underground pipeline for secure storage under the seabed in Liverpool Bay as part of the HyNet North West project. HyNet is a network of new and repurposed infrastructure, such as pipe-lines, spanning North Wales and the North West which will capture carbon emissions and store them safely underground. The project will bring significant economic benefits
CAPTURES THE CARBON
Cement manufacturer Heidelberg Materials is to build the world’s first carbon capture facility to enable fully decarbonised cement production, and doing it in the UK.
to north Wales and the north west, directly supporting skilled jobs through investment and job creation, including, at Padeswood, over 200 and up to 500 more during construction. Energy Minister Michael Shanks said: “This Government’s clean-energy mission means good jobs, regional growth, and investment for local communities. “This trailblazing cement works showcases the north Wales workforce on the global stage – leading the charge in the clean industries of the future and powering Britain’s reindustrialisation through this UK-first project.”
Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said: “We are making the UK a clean energy superpow-er while delivering the well-paid, highly-skilled jobs of the future. It is fantastic to see North Wales at the forefront of carbon capture and the hundreds of new jobs being created by these projects will help drive
are being captured as part of the Norwegian government’s Longship programme. Olivia Powis, CEO of the Carbon Capture & Storage Association (CCSA) said: “These world-leading projects - Heidelberg Materials’ Padeswood and Encyclis’s Protos Energy Recovery Facility show how carbon capture can provide credible, scalable pathways to net zero, securing the future of essential UK industries and keeping businesses competitive in global markets.” BMJ
regional growth as well as accelerating our drive towards lower bills and energy security.” The Padeswood project is the first of its kind in the UK and is Heidelberg Materials’ first full-scale carbon capture facility to reach FID. It follows the official opening of the world’s first carbon capture facility at a cement works at its Brevik site in Norway in June this year. Here, 50% of the plant’s CO2
www.buildersmerchantsjournal.net November 2025
emissions
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