CEMEX increasing PLC production in Colorado
Lyons plant boosts manufacturing of eco-friendly cement that can reduce CO2 emissions by up to 10%
AS part of their efforts to reduce CO2 emissions, CEMEX USA have increased production of Portland limestone cement (PLC) at their plant in Lyons, Colorado, with the environmentally friendly, lower-carbon building material expected to become the plant’s primary product by this summer.
The company has been ramping up production of PLC across the US as part of a suite of solutions to reduce the carbon footprint throughout its operations and products. PLC can offer CO2 emission reductions of up to 10% compared with ordinary Portland cement (OPC).
With PLC, finely ground limestone replaces a portion of the clinker, cutting the clinker factor by about 10% and reducing CO2 intensity, compared with OPC. Moreover, extensive testing and customer feedback have shown that PLC offers the same or better performance in terms of durability and resilience, compared with OPC.
‘CEMEX are committed to being a leader in climate action, and we have aggressive emission-reduction goals designed to positively affect our industry and our world,’ said CEMEX USA President Jaime Muguiro.
‘The increased production of Portland limestone cement is just one element of our plan to reduce our carbon footprint, and by making the lower-carbon solution more available for our customers, they can help provide an even broader and effective impact.’
Although PLC has been produced at Lyons cement plant for more than 15 years, CEMEX are ramping up production to better align with the company’s ambitious carbon-reduction goals and meet increased demand for lower-carbon materials.
In addition to Lyons, CEMEX USA have also increased PLC production at their Brooksville, Florida, and Demopolis, Alabama, cement plants, and plan to step up production or start manufacturing the eco-friendly product at other US cement plants in the coming months.
Last year, CEMEX implemented their Future in Action programme to reduce CO2 throughout their value chain and announced updated climate goals. The aggressive targets include reducing the company’s CO2 emissions by 40% by 2030, compared with 1990 baseline levels, and working to deliver net-zero concrete globally by 2050.
As part of their commitment to climate action, CEMEX joined carbon-neutrality roadmaps from the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) and Portland Cement Association (PCA). CEMEX are also one of the founding members of the First Movers Coalition, an initiative that unites more than two dozen companies worldwide to spur innovation and the use of decarbonization technologies.
