New UK cement plant gets green light

A new GBP40m (US$48.8m), 0.5Mta cement plant at Sheerness Docks in Kent, UK, has been given the go ahead. Despite a petition against the plant receiving over 1000 signatures, Kent County Council unanimously approved the plans on 7 December 2022.

Councillors assured local residents that noise from the new plant will be closely monitored and the movement of trucks during the night would be restricted to once a month with residents receiving a warning in advance. The council also said that if a particulate and dust management plan was put in place and followed, there would be no objections on the grounds of air quality.

The new plant will be operated by Hercules Enterprises Ltd, majority owned by Spain’s Cementos La Cruz. Raw materials will be imported through the docks and the 2.3ha site will include a conveyor, four silos, EcoHopper, clinker storage hall, packaging plant, weighbridge and control rooms. The facility's designs reference Cemengal of Spain as the supplier of the Plug & Grind plant.