CEMEX has restarted the 0.5Mta Line 1 at its San Pedro de Macorís plant in the Dominican Republic. The US$34m upgrade project began in 2021 and forms part of the company’s expansion plans to help support local cement demand in the country.

The next stage of the expansion plans includes increasing production and dispatch capacity, as well as augmenting the use of waste-derived fuels, state-of-the-art additives, and expanding the pioneering use of hydrogen as a catalyst in its two production lines. 

José Antonio Cabrera, president of CEMEX Dominicana, Puerto Rico and Haiti, said, “This and other strategic actions of the company are implemented within the framework of CEMEX's expansion plans, as a response to our focus on innovation and sustainability to supply the demand of the Dominican market, thus contributing to the revitalisation of the national economy and the generation of stable and quality employment.

“We understand and assume the importance of supporting initiatives that strengthen the development of the country and the construction sector. For this reason, a few days ago we announced that state-of-the-art hydrogen technology is being implemented in this cement plant in San Pedro de Macorís; the first initiative of this nature in our territory.”

“Hydrogen is a key technology for our Future in Action program, both as an accelerator of our waste-to-energy efforts and as a potential carbon-free fuel source," said Fernando A González, CEO of CEMEX. CEMEX is a pioneer in the adoption of hydrogen technology in the construction materials industry. Since 2019, the company has been using hydrogen to increase the use of alternative fuels and improve thermal efficiency throughout its operations. As of 2021, the company uses hydrogen at all its European plants.