Heidelberg Materials UK has signed a front-end engineering and design (FEED) contract for a carbon capture plant at its Padeswood cement works in north Wales.

The agreement, with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and Worley, marks another milestone in the company's plans to create the UK’s first net zero cement works.

Cement is a key component of concrete, the second most consumed material in the world after water, but its production is carbon intensive. A large proportion of these carbon emissions come from the chemical processes involved in making cement, so the only way to remove them is by capturing them before they enter the atmosphere.

Heidelberg Materials is proposing to build the facility, which would capture up to 800,000 tonnes of CO2 a year and could produce evoZero® carbon captured net zero cement as early as 2028.

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Simon Willis, CEO, Heidelberg Materials UK, said: "This is a decisive next step in our plans to install carbon capture technology at our Padeswood cement works. Once operational, it will provide net zero building materials for major projects across the country, enabling us to help decarbonise the construction industry and meet our ambition to become a net zero business."

Kenji Terasawa, CEO and Head of Engineering Solutions at MHI, said: "Heidelberg Materials has committed to reaching net zero carbon by 2050 and will be deploying our proprietary carbon capture technology, the Advanced KM CDR ProcessTM, to tackle this challenge — leading the way in the UK’s cement industry."

Marino Barbi, Senior Vice President UK at Worley, added: "Worley, together with our partners MHI are delighted to have been selected by Heidelberg Materials for its Padeswood CCS FEED project. This is a first of its kind CCS development in the UK and our appointment is testament to the strength of our relationship with Heidelberg Materials and MHI, our execution of the pre-FEED and extensive CCUS capabilities."

Heidelberg Materials’ plans at Padeswood are part of the HyNet North West decarbonisation cluster, which aims to create the world’s first low carbon industrial cluster through its development of a hydrogen and carbon capture and storage project.