Cement industry rolls out sustainable construction academy and UK carbon capture plant

Holcim has launched the Sustainable Construction Academy, a free, fully virtual platform delivered in Spanish and accredited for Continuing Professional Development. The initiative aims to close the technical training gap in sustainable building across Latin America, having already trained more than 9,000 participants worldwide, including 18% from the region. José Alfredo Rodríguez, Innovation Manager at Holcim Mexico, highlighted the need to overcome perceptions that low‑carbon solutions are complex.

In the United Kingdom, Heidelberg Materials is advancing the Padeswood carbon capture and storage project at its cement works in north Wales. The facility, which will be the first of its kind at a UK cement plant, is designed to capture about 95% of the site's emissions—roughly 800,000 tonnes of CO2 per year—using evoZero near‑zero cement produced with captured carbon. Groundwork includes the placement of over 600 concrete piles and the use of 60,000 tonnes of aggregate, with construction staffing expected to double by year‑end. CEO Simon Willis emphasized the symmetry of using low‑carbon cement to build the CCS infrastructure.