RSK has successfully supported Heidelberg Materials UK in achieving planning permission for the company’s Padeswood carbon capture and storage (CCS) project in North Wales – the first carbon capture enabled cement works in the UK – representing a groundbreaking project for the cement industry.
Planning permission was received from the Welsh Government on 4 April 2025 – five months ahead of schedule.
Padeswood carbon capture and storage project, which will connect to the HyNet North West project, aims to be the first net zero cement facility in the UK and a global exemplar for the deployment of carbon capture technology at an existing cement works site. Once operational, it will capture and store approximately 800,000 tonnes of CO2 per annum, capturing up to 95% of CO2 emissions from the existing Padeswood cement kiln.
RSK Environment Principal Environmental Consultant Harry Cross said the project is the furthest advanced carbon capture project at an operational cement works in the UK by some distance.
He said: “We are proud to have achieved planning permission for this important and rewarding project that demonstrates the UK leading the way on deploying CCS in the cement industry.
“Our work here saw RSK Environment acting as environment, consents and permitting lead, including coordinating the environmental impact assessment (EIA) and project managing the development of national significance (DNS) application. We were also able to draw on the skills and experience of 12 additional RSK Group businesses, including Joanna Berlyn from Stephenson Halliday as planning lead and Copper Consultancy as communications lead for the programme of community engagement and consultation.”
It is estimated that the project will create up to 500 additional jobs during the construction phase and will also create around 50 direct, long-term operational employment opportunities. The project also proposes the creation of four new ponds, nine hibernacula and 17 refugia (places where amphibians can rest during the day and escape from predators and the sun and, in winter, where they will hibernate). It is envisaged that the planting of mixed deciduous woodland and the enhancement of grassland will cover an area of around 10.13 ha and will improve its value for great crested newt (Triturus cristatus) foraging and offer wider biodiversity benefits for other protected species.
Harry said the project is an impressive example of how RSK can draw on its broad range of multidisciplinary skills to achieve a major infrastructure planning application. The combined RSK team compiled and submitted more than 100 documents as part of its contribution to the planning submission. The 13 businesses involved in the DNS application were:
- RSK Environment (EIA coordination, geographic information system and permitting)
- Stephenson Halliday (planning and landscape & visual)
- ADAS Land (land referencing)
- Copper Consultancy (communications and public affairs)
- Nature Positive (climate)
- RSK Acoustics (noise and vibration)
- RSK Biocensus (biodiversity)
- RSK Air Quality (air quality)
- RSK ADAS (arboriculture and soils)
- RSK Geosciences (land and soils, material assets and waste)
- RSK Land and Development Engineering (water)
- Headland Archaeology (cultural heritage)
- SCP Transport (traffic and transport)
He said that throughout the programme, RSK Environment worked closely with the project front end engineering design (FEED) team, advising on design requirements for planning.
Harry said that RSK Environment collaborated with other RSK Group businesses to prepare and submit the EIA scoping report in late 2022. A scoping direction from Planning and Environment Decisions Wales (PEDW) was received in April 2023.
He said: “Our collaboration continued as the EIA evolved and work on the environmental statement began in 2023 through to 2024. Nine environmental factor assessments were undertaken, including landscape and visual, biodiversity, climate and noise and vibration, to understand the impact of the project on the environment and propose mitigation and enhancements to offset the impacts. Findings were reported in the environmental statement.
“Alongside this, Copper Consultancy coordinated a programme of community engagement and consultation and organised two pre-consultation events in 2022, a further three online and six non-statutory and statutory pre-application consultation events at local venues in 2023 and 2024, respectively. The planning application was submitted on 27 September 2024.”
Heidelberg Materials UK Chief Executive Officer Simon Willis said: “This is fantastic news and a brings our plans to create the UK’s first net zero cement works a step closer.
“Cement is essential to the UK’s transition to net zero. It is fundamental to the development of everything from new offshore wind farms to nuclear power stations, to low carbon infrastructure, and the thousands of green jobs these projects will create.
“Our Padeswood CCS project will bring significant inward investment and opportunity to the region, boosting the North Wales economy and securing the future of hundreds of skilled jobs. “Once operational, it will also provide net zero building materials for major projects across the country and will act as an exemplar for sustainable cement production in the UK and across the globe.”
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