Hydrogen has been successfully used to decarbonise asphalt production on an industrial scale for the first time in the UK at Heidelberg Material’s Criggion plant in Powys, mid Wales. The project is part of the company’s commitment to decarbonise its production processes and has been three years in the making.
The Criggion trial is part of the UK Government’s Industrial Hydrogen Accelerator programme and received part-funding from the Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).
Decarbonising asphalt production
During the trial, hydrogen was used to replace liquid fossil fuels to produce more than 1300 t of asphalt, without any impact on the quality or performance of the material. The project demonstrated hydrogen as a viable alternative to fossil fuels in asphalt production, achieving a 76% reduction in Scope 1 (direct) emissions equating to a 23% reduction in the overall carbon footprint of the asphalt produced.
Low-carbon asphalt for the construction industry
Simon Willis, CEO of Heidelberg Materials UK, said: “If we are to reach our net zero ambitions, we need to consider carbon reduction measures across all areas of our operations.
“Fuel switching to hydrogen is one of these along with, for example, the development of carbon capture and storage, the use of alternative and secondary materials, and developing circular solutions.
“Hydrogen will be a vital solution to decarbonise heavy industry where electrification is difficult and this successful demonstration of its potential to produce low carbon asphalt for the construction industry is a major step forward.”
In total, 4522 kg of hydrogen was used during the trial at Criggion, saving 25 105 kg of CO2. If scaled across the UK asphalt industry, savings could reach 450 000 tpy of CO2.
Heidelberg Materials is a member of Made with Hydrogen, a consortium of organisations responsible for manufacturing daily essentials, from the asphalt in our roads to the bricks in our homes. The group is united in its support for hydrogen as a future energy solution to help reach net zero by 2050 and is calling for greater clarity on the pathway for hydrogen’s role in British industry to maintain a thriving UK manufacturing base.