UK government funds CCS trial at Breedon Cement

The UK government is handing Breedon Cement GBP230,000 (US$290,338/EUR264,453) to investigate the use of carbon capture and storage facilities (CCS) in its cement production. The Derbyshire-based company said the cash injection will allow it to "significantly advance knowledge of the infrastructure" needed to push the company's lime and cement plants in Derbyshire to a "low-carbon future". 

The government is paying 50 per cent of the project cost via its Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF), which was unveiled back in 2019 to support companies' transition towards lower-carbon emissions. The CCS research consists of two feasibility studies costing around GBP463,000 in total. The first is a feasibility study into CCS use during cement production, while the second will be on developing a pipeline to transport captured emissions to a storage facility. 

The government also said cement and lime production is the largest contributor to industrial carbon emissions in Derbyshire, and makes up 31 per cent of the CO₂ emissions in the region. Breedon's cement works in Hope, Derbyshire, currently emits more than one megatonne of CO₂ every year. However, the government acknowledged that the firm faces "significant technological challenges" associated with capturing the high volume of gas, as well transporting the gas to a storage facility.

Breedon Cement Works Manager, Dr Edward Cavanagh, said: "Understanding the possibilities of CCS for a site such as the Hope Cement Works, deep within the Peak District National Park, will not just facilitate a major breakthrough for the operation but also assist with ensuring that significant steps continue to be taken against the sectorial roadmap for net-zero-carbon cement production."

Lhoist UK also received GBP92,400 of funding towards a lime industry decarbonisation study. The company, which is headquartered in Belgium but has a number of plants in the UK, will use the funds to carry out studies into its Hindlow plant, which is based near Buxton in Derbyshire. The funding will support a study into the feasibility of CCS at the site, with plans to transport carbon emissions to an underground site in the Irish Sea for storage.

In total, the government has granted GBP289m of funding to companies across all industries in the first two phases of the IETF. In March, it announced a third phase of the IETF that will see GBP185m allocated to firms across all industries.