Heidelberg Materials has announced their most recent development, which involves a carbon capture plant at their Padeswood cement works. This plant is located in north Wales and the specific development is that a front-end engineering and design (FEED) contract for the project has been agreed upon and signed.

This agreement has been formed between Heidelberg Materials, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Worley and it is a very significant deal, as it highlights another huge step being taken. This deal portrays the completion of another milestone in the ongoing missions to create the UK’s first net zero cement works.

This project, to develop a net zero cement works is incredibly important to the cement industry, as well as the environment. This is because cement is one of the key components in concrete and this makes it the second most consumed material in the world, it is only beaten by water on consumption rate. However, its downside is that its production is very carbon intensive, with a huge portion of the carbon emissions the process produces coming from the chemical processes, which must occur during the production. Due to their necessity, the only way to prevent these carbon emissions causing damage to the atmosphere, is through capturing them before they can reach the atmosphere.

Now that the FEED contract has been agreed upon and signed, the development of the new facility can begin. This facility will be designed to have the ability to capture an estimated 800,000 tons of carbon dioxide every year. There is also a plan for the facility to be able to produce evoZero® carbon captured net zero cement by 2028.

This new Padeswood plant will become part of the HyNet North West decarbonisation cluster. These plants have been developed with the aim of creating the world’s first low carbon industrial cluster. This cluster will be created through the continued creation of hydrogen and carbon capture storage projects.

CEO, Simon Willis, commented, “This is a decisive next step in our plans to install carbon capture technology at our Padeswood cement works. Once operational, it will provide net zero building materials for major projects across the country, enabling us to help decarbonise the construction industry and meet our ambition to become a net zero business.”