Cemex Polska is seeking to replace the use of coal-fired energy with renewable energy to reduce its CO2 emissions, Polish daily Rzeczpospolita reported yesterday.

Polish cement producers are pursuing ways to reduce their carbon footprint as after 2013 their carbon dioxide emissions limits will be trimmed, the daily said.

According to the Polish Cement Manufacturers Association, the industry has replaced 46% of the energy from coal-fired energy sources with energy from alternative energy sources, mainly municipal waste and industrial waste power sources.

Cemex has so far invested PLN80m (EUR 18.5m) in the development of alternative energy technologies and systems, Michal Padusinski, strategic planning manager of Cemex Poland said. The company has also assessed the potential to develop wind farms on its own land, he added.

Cemex has signed a land lease agreement wih PGE Energia Odnawialna, the renewables arm of state-controlled utility PGE in Chelm, eastern Poland, where PGE will install a 17.5MW wind farm. The wind farm is expected to start operations in 2015 and to cost PLN100m, the report said.