The Mineral Products Association (MPA) has welcomed the Government’s pledge to fund the launch of the UK's first sites for carbon capture, utilisation and storage (CCUS).
Representing the UK’s concrete, cement and lime producers, the MPA says that Friday’s announcement (4th October) from the Government could help to make the country’s first net zero cement plant using carbon capture a reality.
That’s because among the projects hoping to receive funding is Heidelberg Materials’ Padeswood Cement Works in Flintshire, part of the HyNet North West cluster of industrial sites poised to implement CCUS.
The UK concrete and cement industry is making huge strides in decarbonisation, especially through production efficiency, fuel switching and use of substitute materials. But the chemical reaction that takes place to produce cement clinker releases carbon dioxide, so CCUS is crucial for the industry to realise its ‘net zero’ target.
The MPA says the Government’s commitment to CCUS is also a boost for the UK economy as it will help to prevent ‘decarbonisation by deindustrialisation’, reducing the pressure to import cement from overseas and protecting thousands of UK jobs - from engineers and factory workers to sales teams and drivers, as well as countless businesses that supply the UK cement industry.
Dr Diana Casey, MPA Executive Director for Energy and Climate Change, said:
“It is very positive to see Government’s commitment to two carbon capture clusters and this news provides an important signal of intent to businesses and the investor community.
“While we await the specific detail of the package of support, the support announced for the HyNet cluster creates an opportunity to bring forward the UK’s first cement carbon capture plant.
“The independent Climate Change Committee has been clear that CCUS technology is essential to decarbonise UK cement production. There is now a need to see longer term visibility of funding from Government for CCUS technology which will help essential UK cement manufacturing to deliver its transition to net zero.
“The UK concrete and cement industry stands ready to support net zero by 2050. We will build on the extensive early action that we’ve taken which has seen the sector deliver a 53 per cent reduction in absolute carbon dioxide emissions since 1990.”
In a recent document submitted to the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves ahead of the Autumn Budget 2024 later this month, MPA called on the Government to back the UK minerals industry to deliver green growth and clean energy. MPA recommendations include:
- Provide clarity for industrial sites outside the track 1 and 2 CCUS clusters of future support, in particular the Peak Cluster and dispersed sites
- Bring forward the UK Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM) to 2026 or protect from carbon leakage through free allowances in UK ETS
- Extend compensation for indirect emissions costs to cement and lime in line with other Energy Intensive Industries
- Abolish the Carbon Price Support (CPS) mechanism
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About the Mineral Products Association:
The Mineral Products Association (MPA) is the trade association for the aggregates, asphalt, cement, concrete, dimension stone, lime, mortar and industrial sand industries. With affiliation of the British Association of Reinforcement (BAR), the British Calcium Carbonate Federation, the Cement Admixtures Association (CAA), CONSTRUCT, Eurobitume, MPA Northern Ireland, MPA Scotland and the UK Quality Ash Association (UKQAA), it has a growing membership of 520 companies and is the sectoral voice for mineral products. MPA membership is made up of the vast majority of independent SME quarrying companies throughout the UK, as well as the 9 major international and global companies. It covers 100% of UK cement and lime production, 90% of GB aggregates production, 95% of asphalt and over 70% of ready-mixed concrete and precast concrete production. In 2021, the industry supplied £22 billion worth of materials and services to the Economy. It is also the largest supplier to the construction industry, which had annual output valued at £178 billion. Industry production represents the largest materials flow in the UK economy and is also one of the largest manufacturing sectors.
For media enquiries, contact Robert McIlveen at: Robert.McIlveen@mineralproducts.org