Encyclis and Heidelberg Materials UK Carbon Capture Plants Reach Financial Close

Energy-from-waste outfit Encyclis and building materials firm Heidelberg Materials have reached final investment decisions on their respective UK carbon capture plants.

The twin, unconnected announcements represent significant milestones for two of the UK’s hardest-to-abate sectors – energy from waste and cement – both of which play a vital role in delivering a low carbon economy.

>> In Other News: Clean Energy to Build Second Hydrogen Station for Foothill Transit’s Expanding Fleet of Low-emissions Buses

Encyclis’ Protos ERF project will capture carbon dioxide emissions from unrecyclable waste and transport them via the HyNet CO₂ pipeline for permanent storage in Eni’s Liverpool Bay storage, which reached financial close in April.

Heidelberg Materials’ Padeswood (north Wales) cement facility will capture around 800,000 tonnes of CO₂ a year from its existing cement works, thereby producing net-zero cement.

Together, the projects will support 500 jobs during construction and operation, providing new opportunities in engineering, construction, operations and the wider supply chain.

Olivia Powis, CEO of the Carbon Capture and Storage Association (CCSA), said cement and energy from waste are two of the most difficult sectors to decarbonise, yet they are fundamental to our economy and way of life.

“Both projects show how carbon capture can provide credible, scalable pathways to net zero, securing the future of essential UK industries and keeping businesses competitive in global markets,” she said.

Mark Burrows-Smith, Encyclis Chief Executive, said it had 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 an essential treatment service for non-recyclable waste while reducing carbon emissions,” he said.

“We are not only building a carbon capture plant but setting the foundations for a new era of industry transformation.”

The first carbon dioxide volumes from Heidelberg Materials were recently stored at Norway’s Northern Lights project.