UK to Begin Construction on First Cement and Waste Plants to Capture Carbon

Construction will begin on two of the UK’s first large‑scale carbon capture projects in the cement and energy‑from‑waste sectors.

After final contracts were signed with the UK government, Heidelberg Materials’ Padeswood cement works in North Wales, and Encyclis’ Protos Energy Recovery Facility in Cheshire will move into delivery. 

This marks a significant step in decarbonising two industries that have proved hard to clean up. The projects together are expected to support around 500 skilled jobs across construction and engineering and to anchor wider investment in industrial regions. 

Both schemes will capture carbon dioxide on site and pipe it into the HyNet network for permanent storage beneath Liverpool Bay, making them early anchor tenants for the regional carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) cluster.

At Padeswood, Heidelberg Materials UK will build a full‑scale capture plant at its existing cement works. 

“Our new facility at Padeswood will be a world-leader,” said Heidelberg Materials UK CEO, Simon Willis. “It will capture around 800,000 tonnes of CO₂ a year from our existing cement works, allowing us to produce evoZero net-zero cement, which will help the construction industry reach its decarbonisation aims”. 

Encyclis will retrofit carbon capture technology to its Protos energy‑from‑waste plant. The project will enable the facility to continue providing reliable baseload power from non‑recyclable waste while capturing emissions that would otherwise be released to the atmosphere. 

Encyclis chief executive, Mark Burrows‑Smith, described the scheme as a “once‑in‑a‑generation opportunity to decarbonise waste treatment.”

Both projects are connected to HyNet, the regional CCUS and hydrogen hub covering parts of north‑west England and north Wales. 

CO₂ captured at Padeswood and Protos will be transported through the HyNet network for offshore permanent storage, integrating industrial emission sources with a shared transport and storage solution.

The developments are the start of a new industrial pathway that can deliver decarbonised products, sustained employment and regional growth. Establishing early projects is essential to build supply chains, reduce unit costs, and demonstrate commercial models for future waves of CCUS deployment across the UK.

Industry leaders are urging ministers to widen backing beyond the initial schemes, so the UK can develop a self‑sustaining CCUS market that supplies low‑carbon materials and energy at scale. 

The twin projects show carbon capture being applied to two of the most challenging industrial emitters: cement production, where process emissions are intrinsic to manufacture, and energy‑from‑waste, which must balance waste management and power generation goals with climate obligations.

With construction now approved to proceed, Padeswood and Protos will be watched closely as test cases for how CCUS can be integrated into operational industrial sites and linked into regional transport and storage infrastructure. If successful, they may offer a replicable model for decarbonising other heavy industries across the UK and beyond.

 

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