Cimpor has celebrated its 50th anniversary of the company's Souselas plant. The celebration was attended by the Mayor of Coimbra, José Manuel Silva, the Chairman of the Souselas and Botão Parish Council, Rui Soares, and the plant's employees.
The Souselas integrated cement plant was commissioned in November 1974 with an initial capacity of 0.5Mta of clinker and has expanded over the last five decades to reach a cement capacity of 3.20Mta. In terms of production, the plant has produced more than 69Mt of clinker.
Moreover, it has shown its commitment to sustainable cement production and its contribution to the circular economy through the co-processing of ~667,000t of alternative fuel. The plant also recently installed a 1MW photovoltaic plant.
Going forward, the plant is revamping its Line 2 to produce calcined clays and installing 10MW of further photovoltaic capacity by 2025 to support its carbon-neutral target by 2050. In February 2025, a 7.4MW waste heat recovery system is due to start up. Ion 2026 the plant plans to implement a 10MW green hydrogen plant to reinforce its commitment to renewable energy.
Among the projects to be implemented, the Director of the Cimpor Souselas Plant, Susana Coimbra, highlights "the conversion of the 2nd production line to introduce calcined clays in cement production, as this is a pioneering project in Portugal and the impact it will have on the local economy. In addition to the environmental aspect associated with this project, it is an operation that will contribute to the creation of local jobs, boosting the economy and making the production process more sustainable."
