Pioneering carbon capture projects ready for construction
Two carbon capture projects in North Wales and North West England have signed contracts, ready to begin construction and securing hundreds of jobs.
The UK’s first carbon capture-enabled cement plant at Padeswood, developed by Heidelberg Materials UK, and one of the world’s first full-scale carbon capture-enabled waste-to-energy facilities at Protos in Ellesmere Port, developed by Encyclis, have signed final contracts with government to begin construction. The 2 projects will provide highly skilled opportunities for Britain’s engineers, construction workers, technicians and health and safety experts.
Cement and waste-to-energy production are carbon-intensive and have no route to cut emissions without carbon capture. As the government accelerates to net zero, Padeswood and Protos will deploy world-leading technologies to remove 1.2 million tonnes of CO2 annually, forging a cleaner future with secure, long-term jobs for workers and businesses in the cement and waste-to-energy industries.
The projects will serve as the launch-point for exporting British technology, innovation and expertise abroad, creating economic opportunities for UK-based companies across the world - boosting growth and giving British business a competitive edge in the global green economy.
These are the first 2 anchor projects to join Eni’s Liverpool Bay Transportation & Storage network, part of the HyNet carbon capture cluster which was green-lit by the Prime Minister in April, after years of delay in getting the industry moving. As a key pillar of the modern Industrial Strategy, the government further backed carbon capture in June’s Spending Review with £9.4 billion over this Parliament to revitalise Britain’s industrial heartlands with good, skilled jobs for working people.
Today’s announcement is that investment in action - shovel-ready projects, jobs secured, and growth locked in for decades to come across North Wales and the North West.
Energy Minister Michael Shanks said: "Our clean energy mission means good jobs, regional growth, and investment for local communities. These trailblazing projects showcase North Wales and the North West’s workforce on the global stage – leading the charge in the clean industries of the future and powering Britain’s reindustrialisation."
Secretary of State for Wales Jo Stevens said: "We are making the UK a clean energy superpower while delivering the well-paid, highly-skilled jobs of the future. It is fantastic to see North Wales at the forefront of carbon capture and the hundreds of new jobs being created by these projects will help drive regional growth as well as accelerating our drive towards lower bills and energy security."
HyNet is a network of new and repurposed infrastructure, such as pipelines, spanning North Wales and the North West which will capture carbon emissions and store them safely underground.
Both projects have now signed contracts with the Low Carbon Contracts Company, marking their final investment decisions. With this milestone reached, projects are expected to move into the construction phase shortly. The projects directly support 500 skilled jobs, as part of the 2,800 jobs across the wider HyNet network.
Padeswood and Protos carbon capture projects also provide long-term job security for workers in the cement and waste industries by providing a crucial route to decarbonisation for the sectors, preserving these proud British industries as we reach net zero.
By investing in proven carbon capture technology, the government is positioning Britain as a global leader on net zero while protecting skilled manufacturing jobs for future generations.
