CEMEX has successfully introduced ground-breaking hydrogen technology as part of its fuel mix in all of its cement plants in Europe. With an estimated $40 million investment program, it is also moving quickly to extend the technology to the rest of its operations around the world, including Mexico and the United States.
By using hydrogen, which emits zero CO2 from combustion, the technology enables further reduction of fossil fuels and improves energy efficiency. After a successful trial at the Alicante Cement Plant in Spain in July 2019, the technology was installed in all of CEMEX’s cement plants in Europe last year. The company will roll out the technology to substantially all its global operations this year.
“The fast adoption of this new hydrogen-based technology is a clear example of CEMEX’s innovation efforts and its strong commitment to decarbonize the cement production process,” said Roberto Ponguta, CEMEX vice-president of global operations, technical and energy. “We continue to identify and deploy existing technologies which have a high potential to contribute to our sustainability goals, and hydrogen is a key lever.”
With this new technology, hydrogen enhances the cement kiln’s combustion process, adding another relevant tool in the company’s 2030 roadmap to reduce CO2 emissions in the short term.