Heidelberg Materials UK has reached a significant new milestone in its plans to construct the UK's first carbon capture facility at a cement works, located at its Padeswood site in north Wales.

The company has formally signed an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction Management (EPCM) contract with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) and Worley. This agreement follows the successful completion of the Front-End Engineering Design (FEED) phase by the same partners.

The carbon capture and storage (CCS) project reached a Final Investment Decision (FID) with the UK Government in September. With initial enabling works already underway, the construction schedule is now poised to move into its next critical phase before the end of the year. The facility is scheduled to be operational in 2029, a key step that will enable the production of evoZero carbon captured near-zero cement.

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Simon Willis, CEO at Heidelberg Materials UK, confirmed the importance of the contract, stating:

"This is the next major milestone in our plans to decarbonise cement production at our Padeswood cement works. The new facility will capture around 800,000 tonnes of CO₂ a year from our existing works and enable the production of evoZero, the world's first carbon captured near-zero cement, on an industrial scale to help decarbonise the construction industry."

In their roles:

• MHI will supply the carbon capture technology, specifically their Advanced KM CDR Process™.

• Worley will spearhead the EPCM delivery, providing critical support for infrastructure development, technology integration, and commissioning.

Chris Ashton, Chief Executive Officer of Worley, emphasised the project's contribution to sustainability:

"We're proud to be working alongside Heidelberg Materials and MHI to deliver a facility that will help transform cement production and support the UK's net zero ambitions. Our role in this project reflects our ability to enable sustainable industrial solutions and leverage our global expertise in delivery for complex energy and infrastructure projects."

The Padeswood initiative is an integral part of the HyNet North West decarbonisation cluster. This cluster aims to establish the world's first low-carbon industrial hub through the development of a hydrogen and CCS project. The $\text{CO}_2$ captured at the cement works will be compressed, then transported via an underground pipeline, and securely stored beneath the seabed in Liverpool Bay.