The move is part of Cemex's global Future in Action programme aimed at reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions throughout its operations and supply chain.
Cemex USA president Jaime Muguiro says: “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. 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.”
Cemex USA began using renewable diesel, produced by Neste and supplied by Western States Oil, in its ready-mix concrete mixer trucks in the Bay Area in 2018 during a pilot programme. In the last few years, the initiative has expanded to include heavy machinery and off-road vehicles at Cemex USA’s Eliot and Cache Creek quarries along with its aggregates terminal in Redwood City and 14 ready mix plants in Northern California. In Southern California, renewable diesel is being utilised at 11 ready mix plants, three quarries and in heavy equipment at the cement plant in Apple Valley.
Cemex USA says the vehicles running on Neste MY Renewable Diesel emit up to 75% less greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions over the life cycle compared to fossil diesel.
Since the start of the programme, the company claims it has prevented more than 33,000 tons of CO2 from entering the atmosphere – roughly the same climate benefit as making more than 7,000 passenger cars zero-emission.
Carrie Song, Neste’s vice president for renewable road transport in North America, says: “Decarbonising 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 best solutions today. 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.”
Neste MY Renewable Diesel is Top Tier certified. No modifications to Cemex’s trucks and machinery were needed to switch to renewable diesel, enabling Cemex to immediately and directly reduce GHG emissions from its operations in California practically overnight and with no extra cost.
In 2021, Cemex updated its global sustainability targets, committing to provide net zero CO2 concrete by 2050 with interim goals to reduce CO2 emissions in its cement business by 40% and in concrete by 35% by 2030. The company is also a founding member of the First Movers Coalition, an initiative that unites more than two dozen companies to drive innovation for decarbonisation.
