Cemex has announced that it is the first company in the industry to successfully operate plants by remote control. The company’s monitoring and remote control system, Centro de Control Cemento (C3), operates in real time and tracks the live data of 14 cement plants, 25 kilns and 86 grinding mills in Mexico, alongside a facility in Colombia and another in the US. Cemex created the C3 to unify the control systems of all its cement plants to make real-time optimal decisions.

From its central location in Monterrey, Mexico, the system monitors information about each stage of the production process, as well as the performance of equipment within each facility. This enables C3 operators to take corrective action in coordination with plant staff, to minimise any deviation from safety, environmental, efficiency and product quality targets, according to a press release. 

"Cemex applied the most modern technology to develop a system that marks a unique milestone in today’s cement industry. The C3 is an excellent tool to promote safety in our operations and make our processes more efficient," said Edgar Angeles, operations vice president of Cemex Mexico.

Application of the C3 system has already resulted in a 50 per cent reduction in operational incidents. It has also improved operating efficiency and reliability, alongside promoting best practice and shared knowledge.