Construction progresses on UK’s first carbon capture cement facility
Construction has reached a major milestone at what is set to become the UK’s first carbon capture facility at a cement works, with groundworks progressing at Heidelberg Materials UK’s Padeswood plant in north Wales.
More than 60,000 tonnes of aggregate have been used to establish working areas for the development, while more than 600 concrete piles, containing around 5,000 cubic metres of concrete, have been installed as part of the retaining wall construction.
The project is being delivered through engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) contractor Worley, alongside Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
Low-carbon cement used throughout construction
The concrete used to construct the carbon capture facility incorporates Heidelberg Materials’ evoZero carbon captured near-zero cement, produced using carbon capture and storage (CCS) technology at the company’s Brevik cement plant in Norway.
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Simon Willis, Chief Executive of Heidelberg Materials UK, said: “We are delighted with the pace of construction of our Padeswood CCS project and it is great to watch as our plans turn into reality.
“We are using evoZero cement wherever possible to lower the carbon impact of the project and there is a symmetry to using a product produced using CCS to help build the infrastructure for another.”
Groundworks continue ahead of main construction phase
Construction teams have completed a number of enabling works, including the installation of security and ecological fencing, the diversion of overhead power lines and underground cables, and the removal of 25,000 tonnes of topsoil, which has been stockpiled for reuse during site reinstatement.
An average of 80 construction workers are currently on site each day, with workforce numbers expected to double by the end of the year as construction activity increases.
Project aims to capture 95% of cement plant emissions
The Padeswood carbon capture facility is designed to capture approximately 95% of carbon dioxide emissions from the existing cement works, equivalent to around 800,000 tonnes of CO₂ each year when operating at full capacity.
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The project builds on Heidelberg Materials’ carbon capture facility at Brevik in Norway, which is designed to capture around 400,000 tonnes of CO₂ annually, representing approximately half of that plant’s emissions.
Once operational, the Padeswood development is expected to become the first carbon capture facility installed at a UK cement manufacturing plant, supporting the decarbonisation of one of the construction industry’s most carbon-intensive materials.
