Cemex expands use of renewable diesel

Cemex USA is expanding its use of alternative fuels at several California operations. Photo: Cemex USA

Cemex USA continues to expand its use of alternative fuels at several California operations.

The company, for example, began using renewable diesel in its ready-mixed concrete mixer trucks in the Bay Area in 2018. Cemex says the expansion is part of its global Future in Action program aimed at reducing carbon dioxide emissions throughout its operations and supply chain.

“At Cemex, we have ambitious goals to reduce our CO2 emissions across our value chain, and alternative fuels are key to helping us reach our sustainability goals,” says Jamie Muguiro, Cemex USA president. “Renewable diesel allows us to make a positive change for the environment almost immediately, contributing to a circular economy by using a product made from waste streams.”

In the last few years, the Cemex initiative expanded to include heavy machinery and off-road vehicles at the company’s Eliot and Cache Creek quarries, as well as with an aggregate terminal in Redwood City and 14 ready mix plants in northern California. In Southern California, renewable diesel is being used at 11 ready mix plants, three quarries and in heavy equipment at the cement plant in Apple Valley.

Cemex’s vehicles running on Neste MY Renewable Diesel emit up to 75 percent less greenhouse gas emissions over the life cycle compared to fossil diesel, according to the company. Since the start of the program, Cemex says it prevented more than 33,000 tons of carbon dioxide from entering the atmosphere.

“Decarbonizing within the heavy building materials industry is tough, partly because it depends on really big equipment powered by big engines, which is why the combination of advanced diesel engines and renewable diesel is one of the biggest solutions today,” says Carrie Song, Neste’s vice president for renewable road transport in North America. “We look forward to helping Cemex as it works to transition its heavy-duty vehicles and equipment toward zero emissions by powering more of their equipment with renewable diesel.”

In 2021, Cemex updated its global sustainability targets, committing to provide net-zero carbon dioxide concrete by 2050, with interim goals to reduce carbon dioxide emission in its cement business by 40 percent and in concrete by 35 percent by 2030. The company is also a founding member of the First Movers Coalition, an initiative uniting more than two dozen companies to drive innovation for decarbonization.