Hanson UK pushes net zero plan at Padeswood

The construction materials giant wants to invest £400m in a carbon capture storage facility at its North Wales cement works.

Public awareness-raising events are being held ahead of a formal consultation process, which will be followed by a planning application.

As described by Hanson, this would be the first carbon capture enabled cement works in the UK, representing a “groundbreaking project for the global cement industry”.

The project forms part of the HyNet decarbonisation cluster.

Under the CCS process, carbon dioxide produced during cement manufacture is captured before it enters the atmosphere, and is then transported by pipeline and stored safely under the seabed – in this case in Liverpool Bay.

Hanson said that although it has been investing in the Flintshire site over the last decade including an efficiency-led development project proposed in 2017, with CCS it cannot meet its goal of being net zero by 2050.

In August, Padeswood was shortlisted for funding as part of the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy’s (BEIS) Phase 2 Carbon Capture and Storage Cluster Sequencing process.

Public sessions are being held today, 20 October, at Buckley Cross Community Centre and Emmanuel Church Penyffordd. There is also further information online.

A Hanson spokesperson said: “Our plans at Padeswood are a stepping-stone to decarbonising the construction process. The UK simply cannot achieve its net zero goals without the building materials we use being carbon neutral.”

The aim is to capture 800,000 tonnes of CO2 a year, the equivalent of taking 320,000 cars off the road. The HyNet industrial cluster as a whole could save up to 10 million tonnes of CO2 per year.

Along with its environmental benefits, Hanson said the project will:

• bring £400m of investment to Padeswood cement works and the region’s economy;
• help to secure a sustainable future for 2,500 people employed in the UK cement industry, 15,000 indirect jobs, and 2.5 million jobs in the construction industry;
• create 54 new full-time jobs at Padeswood, and up to 350 additional jobs during construction as we look to grow in output and efficiency.

The firm said: “This is a project of great significance as it is a step-change to support the transition of the wider construction industry to a net zero future – ultimately helping the UK meet its net zero targets.”