Padeswood CCS

We have been granted planning permission to build a carbon capture plant at our Padeswood cement works by Planning and Environment Decisions Wales, marking a major milestone for our Padeswood CCS project. You can read more about the announcement here

Concrete is the second most consumed material on the planet after water.

It is used to build homes, schools and hospitals, as well as in crucial infrastructure such as wind farms, tunnels and roads.

Contact details

Email: padeswoodccs@uk.heidelbergmaterials.com

Write: Freepost PADESWOOD CCS

Cement is the key component of concrete and is an essential construction material with no viable alternative. But cement production is carbon intensive, with a large proportion of these emissions coming from the chemical process involved in making cement, so they cannot be reduced by using low carbon or renewable energy sources. The only way to produce the cement that the UK needs, without emitting large amounts of carbon, is to capture and store these emissions before they enter the atmosphere.

Heidelberg Materials UK has been granted planning permission to construct an industry leading carbon capture facility at our Padeswood cement works in north Wales. It means that, subject to consenting and agreement of the Industrial Carbon Capture contract with the Government, construction to build the first carbon capture enabled cement works in the UK could start later this year. Once operational, the facility will provide net zero building materials for major projects across the country and act as a global exemplar for sustainable cement production.

Carbon capture and storage (CCS) does exactly what it says – capturing carbon dioxide produced during cement manufacture before it enters the atmosphere, transporting it by pipeline, and storing it safely under the seabed. It is a safe and proven technology that has been around for many years.

Over the last decade, we have been investing in our site to make it more sustainable. However, without carbon capture and storage we will not be able to reach net zero.

Heidelberg Materials is committed to achieving net zero by 2050 and this project gives us the opportunity to place Padeswood at the forefront of the worldwide movement toward carbon-neutral building materials.

To find out more about Heidelberg Materials UK click here.

Benefits

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.

We intend to capture up to 800,000 tonnes of CO₂ a year. The scheme will be an integral part of the HyNet industrial cluster, which could save up to 10 million tonnes of CO₂ per year.

Along with its environmental benefits, the project will:

bring significant 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 around 50 new full-time jobs at Padeswood, and up to 500 additional jobs during construction of the carbon capture plant.

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.

Up to 800,000 tonnes of CO2 captured and stored each year

Significant investment into the facility and the region's economy

Statutory consultation, planning permission and next steps

We held a statutory consultation on our proposed carbon capture project between Tuesday 02 July and Monday 12 August 2024. It presented our updated detailed proposals, potential significant impacts and the mitigation measures to be employed to avoid, reduce and/or off-set any potential impacts.

Feedback received during the process helped influence the design of the project and our application was submitted to Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW) in September 2024, accompanied by an Environmental Statement.

In April 2025 we were granted planning permission to build a carbon capture plant at Padeswood by PEDW. Subject to consenting and agreement of the Industrial Carbon Capture contract with the Government, we intend to commence construction of the proposed development in 2025 with commercial operation by 2029.

Click here to view the statutory consulation documents

History of Padeswood cement works

Padeswood cement works has been operating since 1949 and supplies bulk and packed cement products to local and national customers.

Learn more

HyNet

Heidelberg Materials UK is a partner in the HyNet consortium, which aims to create the world’s first low carbon industrial cluster.

Learn more

Padeswood carbon capture and storage (CCS) project

Suppliers

Although our project is still at an early stage, we are planning ahead to maximise benefits across the supply chain.

We are engaging now to make sure potential suppliers have an understanding of our project and the opportunities it will create.

Click here to learn more or register your company's interest.

FAQs

What is carbon capture and storage (CCS) and how does it contribute to net zero?: Carbon capture and storage (CCS) does exactly what it says – capturing carbon dioxide produced during cement manufacture before it enters the atmosphere, transporting it by pipeline, and storing it safely under the seabed. This will enable us to produce net zero cement, which can be used in construction projects across the UK.

As everything from new offshore wind farms, to nuclear power stations, to clean transport infrastructure uses cement, it is crucial that we make the entire process, from production to construction to maintenance, carbon neutral.
What is carbon dioxide?: Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas, which means it contributes to global warming and climate change. It is produced by many processes, including the burning of fossil fuels and the chemical processes by which cement is made. The UK and other governments around the world are trying to cut emissions of this gas to help limit climate change.
What is net zero?: The UK produces greenhouse gases, but it can also remove them from the environment. Net zero is when the UK’s total greenhouse gas emissions are equal to the amount removed from the environment.
The UK can reduce its emissions through CCS and other measures such as switching to renewable energy. We can also remove emissions from the atmosphere through actions such as tree planting.
Where will you be storing the carbon and how long will it be stored?: At our Padeswood site, we will capture CO₂ produced during the cement manufacturing process. The CO₂ will then be safely transported via an underground pipeline and securely stored in depleted gas reservoirs under the seabed in Liverpool Bay.
The Liverpool Bay CO₂ store will be up to 1km below the seabed and approximately 32km offshore. Once there, emissions will remain underground indefinitely, covered by a dense layer of shale.
How will you transport the carbon once it has been captured?: Our plant will link into the HyNet pipeline network and the captured CO₂ will be transported underground to its destination first at the Point of Ayr and then into Liverpool Bay.
Is carbon capture and storage safe?: Yes, CCS is safe. This technology has been used safely for over 40 years in other countries, including Norway and Canada.
How does carbon capture and storage contribute to net zero?: The CO₂ emitted from the cement plant will be captured and stored making the cement net zero which can then be used in construction projects.
Everything from new offshore wind farms, to nuclear power stations, to clean transport infrastructure uses cement, so it is crucial that we make the entire process, from production to construction to maintenance, carbon neutral.
How much will this project cost to build and maintain?: The plant will cost a significant amount of money to build however we anticipate the running costs to be in line with similar large industrial sites.
Will this affect levels of dust at the site?: The CCS project should have no effect on the levels of dust at the site.
Alongside the project, Heidelberg Materials UK has already invested, and is committed to providing further investment, in improving the site’s operations and addressing dust emissions.
Will there be any environmental impacts of the proposals?: A full environmental impact assessment (EIA) was undertaken to support our planning application, which was submitted to Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW) in September 2024 and has now been granted
An EIA ensures that the Welsh Government and relevant consultees have a comprehensive understanding of the effects of a project, which are then taken into consideration in the decision-making process. We assessed any potential significant environmental effects of the proposals and identified appropriate measures to mitigate these.
Full details of our EIA can be found in our Environmental Statement. The full document, as well as a non-technical summary, can be found here.
How does the Padeswood CCS project fit with the overall HyNet development?: HyNet will reduce carbon emissions by 10 million tonnes each year when it is fully operational. Our Padeswood CCS project will account for up to 800,000 tonnes of this substantial saving.
Where will the proposed capture plant be?: The plant will be located at our existing cement works site at Padeswood.
What engagement have you carried out?: In October 2022 we held drop-in events in Buckley and Penyffordd where we introduced our plans and invited participants to feed back their comments.
In January and February 2023 we held our non-statutory consultation. As part of this, we held two public online events and four drop-in events in Buckley and Penyffordd. We shared our proposals in more detail and participants were able to ask our team questions. We also invited all participants to submit written feedback on our proposals, which could be done online or in the post.
In addition, we updated our website with our project brochure, sent letters to all local residents, placed adverts in local papers, issued a press release, shared information via Penyffordd Community Council and Buckley Town Council social media and placed posters and brochures in local venues.
We then held a statutory consultation on our proposed carbon capture project between Tuesday 02 July and Monday 12 August 2024. It presented our updated detailed proposals, potential significant impacts and the mitigation measures to be employed to avoid, reduce and/or off-set any potential impacts.
Feedback received during the process helped influence the design of the project and our application was submitted to Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW) in September 2024, accompanied by an Environmental Statement. In April 2025 PEDW granted planning permission.
What happens next?: In April 2025 we were granted planning permission to build a carbon capture plant at Padeswood by PEDW. It is an important step forward and brings us closer to realising our ambition to deliver the first net zero cement works in the UK, placing Padeswood and Heidelberg Materials UK at the forefront of the industry’s transition to a low carbon future – helping decarbonise north Wales and beyond.
Subject to consenting and agreement of the Industrial Carbon Capture contract with the Government, we intend to commence construction of the proposed development in 2025 with commercial operation by 2029.