Cemex announces new CCUS projects

CEMEX has announced that it is implementing several new carbon capture, utilisation, and storage (CCUS) projects throughout its global cement operations as it seeks to accelerate its implementation of the game-changing technology as part of its decarbonisation roadmap.

CCUS can be the final step to reaching net-zero CO2 after current levers, relying on existing and proven strategies, are maximised to their fullest potential. CEMEX is currently running several CCUS innovation projects that aim to accelerate the creation of new technologies and to enable the implementation of current ones at an industrial scale. In total, current projects have the potential to avoid more than 3Mta of carbon emissions.

“CCUS brings together the essence of our strategic priorities: sustainability and innovation,” commented Fernando A González, CEO of CEMEX. “Our Future in Action program to achieve sustainable excellence and become a net-zero company is all about measurable, verified progress towards the most ambitious decarbonization pathway in the industry. Although CCUS technologies are not ready to be scaled quite yet, it will take relentless work and innovation to ensure their viability in time to avoid the most damaging effects of climate change.” 


CEMEX’s new CCUS projects include:

• Three Front End Engineering (FEED) studies to scale CCUS technologies at CEMEX plants in Germany, Poland and the US. The studies fall under the scope of a new global license agreement with Leilac, a subsidiary of Australian technology company Calix. The agreement enables CEMEX to leverage Leilac’s highly efficient direct separation technology, to capture CO2 at a low cost in its operations.
• A US Department of Energy-funded FEED study in collaboration with the independent non-profit research institute RTI International, to develop a large-scale carbon capture system at CEMEX’s Balcones cement plant in Texas, USA. Other partners on the project include SLB, a global technology company and the licensor for RTI’s NAS solvent capture technology. The study will perform an engineering design for a commercial-scale system able to capture 670,000tpa of CO2, with a carbon capture efficiency above 95 per cent.
• A partnership with leading global CCUS research institute TNO to work on one of the most comprehensive CCUS studies in the industry. The study will include eight CEMEX cement plants in Europe, Mexico, and the US, focusing on synergies and creating an environment that brings the industry closer to implementing CCUS at scale. 

Future in Action is CEMEX's program to achieve sustainable excellence through climate action, circularity, and natural resource management with the primary objective of becoming a net-zero CO2 company. Through Future in Action, CEMEX has achieved record-breaking progress in reducing its carbon footprint during the past 18 months, the company added.