Groundwork is progressing on the UK’s first carbon capture facility at a cement works, at Heidelberg Materials’ Padeswood site in north Wales.
More than 60,000 tonnes of aggregate have been used to establish the working areas, with more than 600 concrete piles – containing around 5,000 cubic metres of concrete – already placed by two piling rigs as part of a retaining wall.
All concrete used in the facility’s construction includes evoZero, a carbon captured near-zero cement. EvoZero gains its sustainability credentials from the use of carbon capture and storage (CCS) at Heidelberg Materials’ Brevik plant in Norway, along with chain of custody models.
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.”
He added: “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.”
This phase of the groundwork is being carried out by Worley, which – along with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries – was awarded the engineering, procurement and construction management (EPCM) contract to build the Padeswood facility.
Completed works include the installation of fencing, diversion of overhead powerlines and cables, and removal of 25,000 tonnes of topsoil, which has been stockpiled for reuse in reinstatement works on site.
An average of 80 construction workers are currently on site each day, a figure expected to double by the end of the year.
Padeswood CCS builds on the success of Heidelberg Materials’ Brevik plant in Norway, which captures around 50% of the site’s CO2 emissions, equivalent to around 400,000 tonnes a year.
The Padeswood facility is designed to capture almost all – around 95% – of the carbon emissions from the existing cement works, equivalent to around 800,000 tonnes a year once running at full capacity. The facility is expected to be complete in 2029.
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