Spain’s Ministry for the Ecological Transition and the Demographic Challenge (MITECO) has awarded a EUR4.8m (US$5.2m) to CEMEX España  as part of its Strategic Project for the Recovery and Economic Transformation (PERTE) of the Circular Economy to improve the circularity of its processes. The grant represents 35 per cent of the approved EUR13.7m budget to develop and implement the “L2 cross-cutting action to boost the economy – Increasing the efficiency of raw materials in cement manufacturing” initiative, reports Oficemen, the Spanish cement association.

The project aims to reduce the use of natural resources in cement production and the share of clinker in cement by incorporating other types of raw materials such as waste and pozzolans at three of CEMEX’s plants in Spain – Alcanar (Tarragona), Morata de Jalón (Zaragoza) and Castillejo (Toledo).

“The aid received will allow us to continue advancing our efforts and promote our Future in Action climate action strategy, in which the circular economy is a key pillar. "The project that MITECO is supporting through the Circular Economy PERTE will allow us to considerably increase the use of alternative raw materials in the composition of our cements, reducing the use of natural raw materials and reducing CO2 emissions in the manufacturing process," said Benjamín Cabrera, director of CEMEX Operations and Technology in Spain.