Heidelberg Materials has used hydrogen to decarbonise asphalt production at its Criggion plant in mid Wales.
It is the first time 100 per cent hydrogen has been tried in the production of asphalt in the UK.
Hydrogen replaced liquid fossil fuels to produce 1,303 tonnes of asphalt, saving more than 25 tonnes of carbon dioxide.
The Criggion trial is part of the UK government鈥檚 industrial hydrogen accelerator programme and received part-funding from the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ).
Nothing has been said about the financial viability of hydrogen as an alternative to fossil fuels in asphalt production, but its technical viability has at least now been demonstrated. It achieved a 76 per cent reduction in scope 1 (direct) emissions equating to a 23 per cent reduction in the overall carbon footprint of the asphalt produced.
Heidelberg Materials UK chief executive Simon Willis said: 鈥淚f 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.
鈥淗ydrogen 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.鈥�
In total, 4,522 kg of hydrogen was used during the trial at Criggion, saving 25,105 kg of carbon dioxide. If scaled across the UK asphalt industry, savings could reach 450,000 tonnes of CO鈧� a year.