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Heidelberg Materials has reaching a final investment decision with the UK government for its carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in north Wales.

With the last bureaucratic hurdle cleared, construction of a carbon capture facility at Heidelberg Materials’ Padeswood cement works is expected to start later this year.

Padeswood will have what is claimed to be the world’s first carbon capture facility to enable fully decarbonised cement production. It is expected to be producing net zero cement from 2029.

Heidelberg Materials UK chief executive Simon Willis 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.”

The carbon capture facility at Padeswood is designed to capture 95% of the CO₂ emissions from the cement production process. The emissions captured 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.

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.

The world’s first carbon capture facility at a cement works opened at Heidelberg’s Brevik plant in Norway in June this year, but this only captures around 50% of the CO₂ emissions.

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