Construction work on two UK carbon capture projects is set to begin following the signing of final contracts.
One project will see the construction of what will be the UK's first carbon capture-enabled facility producing decarbonised cement. Located in Flintshire, North Wales, the facility is being built by Heidelberg Materials UK, and will capture around 800 000 tonnes of the carbon dioxide emissions from the cement making process.
The captured carbon dioxide will be compressed and transported via pipeline for storage under the seabed at Liverpool Bay, as part of the Hynet North West project.
As well as the production of low carbon cement, development of the plant is also set to lead to the creation of some 50 new jobs and protect more than 200 existing jobs, as well as creating 500 more roles during the construction phase.
Heidelberg Materials CEO Simon Willis said: “Our constructive partnership with the UK government has allowed us to reach this major milestone. Our new facility will be a world leader. It will capture around 800 000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year from our existing cement works, allowing us to produce net-zero cement, which will help the UK construction industry reach its decarbonisation aims.”
The second carbon capture project will see Encyclis develop the UK’s first full-scale carbon capture plant at an energy-from-waste (EfW) facility located in Cheshire. The company says that the carbon capture plant will prevent the release of around 370 000 of carbon dioxide each year from its Protos EfW facility. This project will also use the HyNet grid to transport its carbon dioxide for storage in depleted gas reserves in Liverpool Bay.
This carbon capture plant is scheduled to become operational during 2029. Encyclis added that construction and commissioning will support up to 500 jobs and is expected to deliver a significant boost to the regional supply chain.
Mark Burrows-Smith, chief executive of Encyclis said: “We have secured a once-in-a-generation opportunity to begin decarbonising waste treatment in the UK. This first full-scale carbon capture deployment in the UK enables us to continue providing essential treatment services for non-recyclable waste while reducing carbon emissions, creating new skilled jobs and clearing a pathway for wide adoption across industry.”
Both of the these projects are part of the UK government’s commitment to investing £21.7 billion in carbon capture in the UK over the next 25 years. This move is aimed at establishing the country as a global leader in the carbon capture sector, as well as meeting legally binding net-zero targets. They also form the first two anchor projects to join the Liverpool Bay Transportation and Storage network, part of the HyNet carbon capture cluster which was given the go ahead by the UK government earlier this year.
During June the UK Government also gave the go ahead for the Acorn project, located in Scotland, it is expected to store some 5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide each year by 2030, and the Viking project, located in the Humber region, which aims to capture, transport and store 15 million tonnes of UK emissions per year by 2035.
Further reading on carbon capture and storage
- Carbon capture and storage: Three factors holding back progress
- This major carbon capture project just stored its first carbon dioxide - under the sea
- Carbon capture: $100 million competition reveals winning projects
- Carbon capture: World’s largest cement decarbonisation project gets backing
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