Cemex on track in achieving carbon neutrality goals

Cemex Holdings Philippines is making significant progress toward achieving carbon neutrality goals through clean energy-powered operations.

The recent ribbon-cutting ceremony of its APO Cement plant waste heat recovery facility in Cebu is in line with Cemex’s goal towards more sustainable and greener operations, heralded by its “Future in Action” agenda – a broader program to minimize its carbon footprint and lead the construction industry toward decarbonization.

Commissioned in 2022, the company’s 4.5MW waste heat recovery facility is strategically designed to utilize excess heat generated from the cement manufacturing process and convert it into usable energy. Since then, recycled waste heat has powered around 8% of APO plant’s energy requirement. By 2030, it is estimated that up to 65% of Cemex’s energy consumption will come from clean, renewable, and self-sustaining sources.

“We do not just talk about sustainability; we’re engineering it directly into our operations to ensure we deliver solid results as part of our Future in Action commitment to address climate change,” said Luis Franco, Cemex Philippines President and CEO.

Future in Action is Cemex’s program focused on achieving sustainable excellence through climate action, circularity, and natural resource management with the primary objective of becoming a net-zero CO₂ company.

“Our ultimate goal is to become a net-zero CO₂ company by 2050, and we are setting real, quantifiable targets for reducing our carbon footprint, and we’re dedicated to meet them,” Franco added.

As the country’s leading building materials company, Cemex continues to significantly contribute to climate change mitigation by reducing CO₂ emissions in its cement production process. Cemex Philippines has the highest CO₂ emissions reduction based on public information, as it already achieved a 50 percent reduction in CO₂ emissions generated by its two cement plants, Solid Cement and Apo Cement from 1990-2022.

The company has also implemented programs focused on developing lower-carbon products, solutions, and processes to become a net-zero CO₂ company. In recent years, Cemex has increased its use of alternative fuels and optimized clinker production, which reduces the amount of CO₂ involved in cement production without affecting the quality of cement it produces.

Cemex Philippines’ waste heat recovery facilities in its Antipolo and Cebu plants set a benchmark for other players in the industry, inspiring a collaborative push toward a more sustainable business approach and responsible future for the next generations.