MHI and Worley Land FEED Contract for UK Cement Plant's Groundbreaking CO2-Capture Project

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd (MHI), based in Tokyo, has unveiled its involvement in the Front End Engineering Design (FEED) for a CO2 capture plant at Padeswood Cement Works in Flintshire, U.K. This initiative, in collaboration with leading global cement manufacturer Heidelberg Materials UK, aims to scrutinize the specifications of the CO2 capture plant, furthering the progress of the Padeswood CCS (carbon capture and storage) project.

MHI has partnered with Worley, a global professional services company specializing in energy, chemicals, and resources, for the implementation of the basic design of the CO2 capture plant. The design incorporates MHI's proprietary "Advanced KM CDR Process" CO2 capture technology, developed in collaboration with The Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc.

Kenji Terasawa, CEO and Head of Engineering Solutions at MHI, emphasizes the challenges faced by the cement industry, often deemed "hard to abate" due to unavoidable CO2 emissions in the production process. He highlights Heidelberg Materials UK's commitment to achieving net-zero carbon by 2050 and acknowledges the deployment of MHI's carbon capture technology, the Advanced KM CDR Process™, as a significant step forward for the UK's cement industry.

Simon Willis, CEO of Heidelberg Materials UK, describes the FEED project as a crucial advancement in their plans to incorporate carbon capture technology at Padeswood cement works. Once operational, the plant is expected to provide net-zero building materials, contributing to the decarbonization of the construction industry and aligning with Heidelberg Materials UK's ambition to become a net-zero business.

Marino Barbi, Senior Vice President UK for Worley, expresses delight in being selected for the Padeswood CCS FEED project, highlighting the project's uniqueness as the first of its kind in the UK. The collaboration between Worley, MHI, and Heidelberg Materials demonstrates the strength of their relationship and Worley's extensive capabilities in carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS).

The Padeswood CCS project is aligned with the UK Government's commitment to achieving net-zero carbon emissions by 2050. The country is actively developing infrastructure, including CCUS clusters, to facilitate all aspects of the carbon capture process in targeted industrial zones. The HyNet CCUS cluster, which encompasses the Padeswood project, has been recognized as a storage site by the UK Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ). Additionally, the project has been selected as a specific CO2 capture and storage initiative by the UK Government to promote decarbonization within the challenging cement industry.

MHI Group has officially declared its intent to achieve carbon neutrality by 2040, adopting a strategic approach to decarbonizing both energy demand and supply. The company's commitment to an "Energy Transition" involves developing a CO2 solutions ecosystem, integrating various carbon emission sources with storage and utilization methods. MHI Group aims to actively promote the CCUS business, leveraging its proprietary CO2 capture technology and contributing as a solutions provider to global efforts in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.