Consultation gets underway on £400 million carbon capture plant at Padeswood cement works

Flintshire could become a world leader in net zero cement production, thanks to a £400 million carbon capture and storage project at Padeswood cement works.

A consultation has been launched on the project which is expected to create 54 new full-time, high-skilled jobs at Padeswood, and up to 350 jobs during construction.

It will also protect 222 direct and indirect jobs and provide additional supply chain opportunities.

The proposed new plant will capture CO2 emissions from the cement manufacturing process and safely store them, reducing the carbon footprint of construction projects.

This project plays an integral role in HyNet North West, the industrial decarbonisation project.

The captured CO2 will be transported via a pipeline buried under parts of Deeside to Connah’s Quay natural gas pipeline.

The pipeline will be repurposed to transport CO2 to Eni’s Point of Ayr terminal and then on to a depleted oil and gas field 32km offshore in Liverpool Bay. ‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​

The new plant will be built in the south-western part of the current Padeswood site.

The highest component of the plant will be an absorber tower, which could be up to 100 metres in height.

A combined heat and power (CHP) plant will also be constructed in the south-western part of the site.

The CHP plant will generate at least 12 megawatts of electricity and 83MW of heat, and will be used to power the carbon capture equipment.

The Padeswood carbon capture and storage project is a Development of National Significance (DNS), meaning that the planning decision will be issued by the Welsh Government instead of Flintshire County Council.

A full environmental impact assessment (EIA) will need to be undertaken to support the DNS application.

Hanson said the “ambitious project will not only reduce the carbon footprint of the cement industry, but also establish Flintshire as a leader in the transition to net-zero emissions.”

“The construction industry is a major contributor to global greenhouse gas emissions, and projects like this are essential in the fight against climate change.”

Once operational, the Padeswood plant will capture 800,000 tonnes of CO2 per year, equivalent to taking 320,000 cars off the road.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Engineering has been award the contract to deliver the preliminary front-end engineering design for the new CO2 capture plant.

Hanson said: “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.”

“Hanson 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 Hanson click here.”

“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.”

Consultation

A consultation will provide residents to speak to the project team, ask any questions they may have, and give feedback on the plans.

As part of this, Hanson holding a series of in-person events and webinars.

Emmanuel Church Penyffordd
42 Vounog Hill, Penyffordd, Chester CH4 0EZ
Friday 3 February, 10:00 -19:00

Emmanuel Church Penyffordd
42 Vounog Hill, Penyffordd, Chester CH4 0EZ
Saturday 4 February, 10:00-13:00

Buckley Cross Methodist Church
3-7 Padeswood Rd N, Buckley CH7 2JL
Saturday 4 February, 14:00-17:00

Buckley Cross Methodist Church
3-7 Padeswood Rd N, Buckley CH7 2JL
Friday 10 February, 10:00-19:00

Online | Tuesday 7 February, 19:00-20:00 Click here to register
Online | Wednesday 15 February, 12:30-13:30 Click here to register

You can email [email protected]

Or call 0800 046 9642