Cemex invest in UK asphalt operations

Company invests further in UK asphalt business with new site in Birmingham and several plant upgrades

CEMEX say they are making strong progress with a significant investment programme in their UK asphalt operation, including the opening of a new plant in Birmingham, as well as developments at several locations to ensure a more efficient and more sustainable operation with smoother product delivery for customers. 

The new plant, located on Doris Road in Birmingham, will allow Cemex to better target this key urban market with its array of asphalt solutions.

Products produced on site will include Rubbermix asphalt (RMA), which incorporates crumb rubber granules from used tyres, helping to offset the environmental impact of highway maintenance activity through the circular economy.

Vialow, Cemex’s low-temperature, reduced-carbon asphalt, which comes with the option to offset residual CO₂ to make it a CarbonNeutral product, in accordance with The CarbonNeutral Protocol, will also be produced at this new location. Further trials are also under way on other more sustainable asphalt products that prioritize circularity.

The new Birmingham site will operate as a local asphalt plant, providing a dedicated service for customers who require small-tonnage collections and deliveries, as well as stocking every-day essentials such as tools and equipment.

Further investment has been made into the wider Cemex UK asphalt business with the installation of multiple new bitumen tanks at Cemex’s Stourton, Preston, and Dove Holes plants. These tanks have a higher capacity than those they replace, which will allow for increased production speed, increased mix options, plus a more flexible supply.

Additionally, the new tanks are more energy efficient, helping Cemex to run a more sustainable operation, in line with their dedicated climate action strategy, Future in Action.

Cemex say this is the latest stage of their plan to replace all of the bitumen tanks at the company’s UK asphalt locations with newer, more efficient models.

Scott Jones, director of asphalt for Cemex UK, commented: ‘We are making a considerable investment into our asphalt portfolio with the opening of our new Birmingham location and development programme at our existing sites, but this is indicative of the continued success of our asphalt business and our commitment to this product line.

‘We hope that these investments will improve the efficiency of our UK asphalt operations and enhance product delivery for customers, while better serving key metro markets.’