The Secretary of State for Wales has spent two days (10th & 11th April) in
north Wales meeting leading businesses in the region and
discussing their contributions to the UK Government's clean
energy and economic growth missions. The missions are
cornerstones of the UK Government's Plan for Change, which aims
to raise living standards across the UK and put more money in
people's pockets.
At Heidelberg Materials' cement works in Padeswood near Mold, the
Secretary of State heard about a pioneering Carbon Capture and
Storage (CCS) project, which aims to decarbonize cement
production and contribute to the UK's net-zero goals.
Heidelberg Materials is proposing a £600 million plus investment
at its Padeswood works which would enable it to capture up to
800,000 tonnes of CO2 per year and create around 50 new jobs.
At Enfinium's Parc Adfer facility in Deeside, the Secretary of
State saw how the plant today converts unrecyclable waste into
energy and other useful products and the company showcased their
plans to retrofit a Carbon Capture Plant.
The CCS project represents a £200 million investment in North
Wales's green economy and Enfinium estimates that it has the
potential to actively remove up to 125,000t of carbon from the
atmosphere each year from the organic material the plant already
processes.
Secretary of State for Wales said:
It's fantastic to see north Wales at the forefront of plans for
Carbon Capture and Storage. It's a technology that has huge
potential for helping us achieve our net zero ambitions.
As part of our Plan for Change we want to encourage innovation
and investment like that being shown by these North Wales
companies, bringing economic growth as well as the well-paid
secure jobs of the future.
Simon Willis, CEO at Heidelberg Materials UK, said:
We were delighted to welcome to Padeswood and to have the opportunity to showcase
our plans for the site.
Our CCS project, which was granted planning permission earlier
this month, would bring significant investment and
opportunity to the region, boosting the north Wales economy and
securing the long-term future of hundreds of skilled jobs.
Once operational, it would also provide net zero
building materials for major projects across the country, setting
the construction industry on a path to decarbonisation and
helping the UK government meet its 2050 net zero
targets.
Enfinium CEO Mike Maudsley said:
We were delighted to welcome the Secretary of State for Wales to
our Parc Adfer facility in Deeside, to discuss our plans to
invest in the region and help grow the green economy in North
Wales.
To deliver net zero, Wales and the UK needs to find a way to
produce carbon removals at scale. Installing carbon capture at
Parc Adfer will not only decarbonise Wales's unrecyclable waste,
but it will also transform the site into the largest carbon
removal project in Wales.
While in north Wales the Secretary of State also saw cutting-edge
businesses in the area's life science sector.
Wockhardt UK Ltd is a subsidiary of a global pharmaceutical
company which has its UK headquarters in Wrexham. The site also
has a sterile injectable manufacturing facility which has been
instrumental in producing the AstraZeneca/Oxford COVID-19
vaccine.
During her visit toured the laboratory and manufacturing areas, met
with apprentices, and discussed the company's impact on the
regional economy. She reiterated the UK Government's commitment
to supporting the life sciences sector and driving sustained
economic growth through investment and innovation.
In her final engagement the Secretary of State for Wales visited
Ipsen Biopharm, a global biopharmaceutical company with a
neuroscience centre of excellence in Wrexham. She saw their
work to develop and manufacture neurotoxins, which are used
to treat people living with neurological conditions.
Ipsen has invested more than £100 million into its Wrexham site
over the last three years, in order to expand its research and
development (R&D) as well as manufacturing capabilities.The
site uses 100% renewable energy across its production and
research units.
Managing Director of Wockhardt UK Ltd Ravi Limaye said:
We were honoured to welcome the Secretary of State for Wales,
, to our facility. Wockhardt has been in Wrexham for
21 years and has seen the town become a city and famous on the
world stage.
We were involved in the COVID vaccine manufacture and are
immensely proud of our dedicated staff who made this happen
despite unprecedented challenges posed by the pandemic.
Jeannette Brend, Site Head at Ipsen in Wrexham, said:
Ipsen Wrexham manufactures products that are exported to patients
in over 90 countries around the world. Wrexham is an important
site for Ipsen, and we are proud to be a major employer in the
local community and invest in the area.
We welcome the UK Government's commitment to supporting the
life sciences sector and hope that this will continue so
innovation can keep flourishing.''
Throughout her visits, the Secretary of State highlighted the UK
Government's priority of economic growth and clean energy,
emphasizing the importance of investments in green technologies
and life sciences to support regional development and job
creation.
