Picture caption: A standard cement works
As the years tick by, it becomes increasingly apparent that the UK’s net-zero goals are unrealistic. However, there are companies preparing to move us in the right direction. A cement works in North Wales has been granted planning permission to construct a carbon capture facility, giving them the ability to provide net-zero building materials for major UK projects.
Padeswood cement works, owned by Heidelberg Materials UK, hopes to begin construction on the cement-capture facility later this year. With concrete consumed at such a high rate, second only to water, finding a way to reduce the carbon emissions from cement is critical.
Currently, there is only one way to meet the UK’s cement needs without releasing large amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, and that is to store the carbon emissions. At Padeswood, this will be done by collecting the CO2 and storing it beneath the seabed. Rather than being released into the atmosphere, the CO2 will be transported via the HyNet North West underground pipeline so that it can be stored safely beneath Liverpool Bay.
Of course, ideally you would reduce emissions rather than store the carbon dioxide, but because the chemical processes involved in cement production cause the emissions, it’s not as simple as switching to renewable energy sources.
However, this is not accepted by the campaign group, Hynot, which has launched a legal challenge against the planned carbon dioxide storage. They argue that the Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, and the Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) have not fully considered the risks to safety and the environment.
This legal challenge may delay things, but if the planned carbon capture and storage project does go ahead, it will capture up to 800,000 tonnes of CO2 each year, according to Heidelberg, and will be the first net-zero cement facility in the UK. These facilities already exist in Europe and North America, but the carbon stored is a drop in the ocean when compared with the carbon released by the cement industry.
In Europe alone, 198 cement facilities emit a total of 106 million tonnes of carbon dioxide. In 2020, the UK cement industry was responsible for releasing 7.3 million tonnes of carbon dioxide, approximately 1.5 percent of total UK CO2 emissions.
The Padeswood plant is a positive step in the right direction, but it will take a lot more commitment, investment and legislation for the UK to get anywhere close to net zero by 2050.
As an aside, if you’d prefer to live in a country that has already achieved net-zero emissions, you could consider moving to one of the following places: Bhutan, the Comoros, Gabon, Guyana, Madagascar, Niue, Panama, or Suriname.
The first country in Europe likely to achieve net zero is (unsurprisingly) Finland. The Nordic nation intends to reach net zero by 2035, and become carbon negative by 2040. It’s reliant on wind energy to achieve its goals, and the country looks likely to achieve its targets.
Achieving net zero relies on decarbonising heat, electricity and transport systems, as well as increasing the energy efficiency of buildings, and lowering the emissions released by construction work. Finland also has a carbon capture cement works in the pipeline (pun intended!).
It would be great to see the UK adopt more ambitious targets, or at least to fully commit to the 2050 target that is already enshrined in law. Granting permission for the Padeswood carbon capture plant is a valuable step forward, giving our industry more sustainable options for construction materials, but it’s going to take a much bigger shift in our overall approach to achieve net zero.
What do you think? Is the Padeswood project a good idea, or should we be looking for permanent alternatives to using cement? And are the net-zero targets for the UK “pie in the sky”, or are we heading in the right direction? Meanwhile, if you need any assistance with the structural elements of an upcoming project, please do get in touch.
