Planning permission for carbon capture plant in Wales

The Padeswood cement works in north Wales has passed this major project milestone.

The Planning and Environment Decisions Wales have brought Heidelberg Materials, the company that runs the works, plans to create the UK’s first net-zero cement works a step closer with decision to grant planning permission. 

The facility aims to capture and store up to 800,000t of CO₂ a year from the existing cement works, which will be transported via the HyNet North West underground pipeline for secure storage under the seabed in Liverpool Bay.

The project is expected to create around 50 new full-time jobs, and up to 500 additional jobs during construction.

The production of cement is carbon intensive, with a large proportion of these emissions resulting from the chemical process involved in cement’s manufacture. A method to remove them and produce the net-zero cement the UK needs is to capture them using carbon capture, usage, and storage before they enter the atmosphere.

Once operational, the Padeswood facility Heidelburg says it will capture almost all of the CO₂ produced during cement manufacture and enable the production of evoZero carbon captured net-zero cement by 2029.