Welcome to the future of lower carbon construction products
We have rebranded to become Heidelberg Materials, aligning with our parent company, which announced its new global branding in September 2022.
We have been part of the Heidelberg Materials Group for 16 years and now we are coming together with a single identity to demonstrate that we are part of a global business with one voice.
Having one brand name and identity sends a clear and consistent message to our increasingly global customers and fosters collaboration across both geographical and organisational boards. It allows us to express who we are, what we do and what we stand for – worldwide. And, it means we are even stronger and better placed to meet global challenges like climate change and digitalisation.
It allows us to:
Work together to lead the field in driving down carbon emissions and reach our ambition of becoming the first net-zero company in our sector;
Pioneer a circular economy in construction by recycling and reusing construction waste;
Develop digital solutions to provide added value to our customers, making working with us easier and more efficient; and
Develop sustainable and innovative building materials.
Decarbonising the built environment
Decarbonisation is a key priority for us. It’s not a new aim – our journey started several decades ago – and we have already reduced our CO2 emissions in the UK by more than 50% since 1990.
We are continuing to invest in plant efficiency across our operations and we are increasing the use of alternative raw materials and lower/zero-carbon fuels, including hydrogen. For example, a cement kiln at our Ribblesdale works in Lancashire has been successfully operated using a net zero fuel mix as part of a world first demonstration using hydrogen technology. Now, we are also part of a separate Government-funded project to trial hydrogen to power an asphalt plant at our Criggion site in mid-Wales.
We are the UK’s largest supplier of Regen GGBS (ground granulated blastfurnace slag), a readily available and reliable option to reduce the embodied carbon in concrete through the replacement of CEM I.
In addition, we have created our EcoCrete range of lower carbon concretes, which contain Regen GGBS to reduce the CO2 emissions associated with standard CEM I concrete by at least 30 per cent.
And, we offer a range of lower carbon asphalt products, which include the use of warm mix asphalts, as well as ‘biogenic’ asphalt and those that contain recycled content.
We are also progressing a range of innovative carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects, which could set the UK construction industry on a path to achieving the Government’s binding net zero carbon emissions by 2050.
CCS is vital if achieving net zero carbon is to become a reality as it will allow CO2 released during the production of cement – which accounts for a large proportion of our carbon emissions – to be captured before it enters the atmosphere.
To achieve this, we are proposing to invest around £400 million to build an industry-leading carbon capture facility at our Padeswood cement works in north Wales, which could lead to the production of net zero cement as early as 2028.
Growing the circular economy
We are committed to growing the circular economy, allowing more to be built with less. We recover construction and demolition waste, recycling and reusing it so it can reduce the use of primary raw materials and provide the most sustainable products to our customers.
Going digital
Digitalisation is also a key area. We want to lead the way in changing the heavy building materials industry towards digitalisation so we can shape the industry towards a simpler, safer and more sustainable future.
We are developing and introducing exciting digital solutions to provide added value to our customers ad make working with us easier and more efficient.
For example, we have developed OnSite, a mobile app which allows customers to track their concrete deliveries in real time, helping them manage their sites efficiently.
