CEMEX USA continues their efforts to reduce CO₂ emissions as the company has increased production of Portland limestone cement (PLC) at its plant in Lyons, CO. This environmentally friendly, lower carbon building material is expected to become the plant’s primary product by this summer.

CEMEX USA has increased production of PLC across the U.S. as an initiative of solutions to reduce the carbon footprint throughout its operations and products. PLC can offer CO₂ emission reductions of up to 10% when compared to ordinary Portland cement (OPC). In PLC, finely-ground limestone replaces a portion of the clinker, cutting clinker factor by about 10% and reducing CO₂ intensity when compared to OPC. Extensive testing and customer feedback have shown PLC offers the same or better performance in durability and resilience when compared to OPC.

“CEMEX is committed to being a leader in climate action, and we have aggressive emission reduction goals designed to positively affect our industry and our world,” said CEMEX USA President Jaime Muguiro. “The increased production of Portland limestone cement is just one element of our plan to reduce our carbon footprint, and by making the lower carbon solution more available for our customers, they can help provide an even broader and effective impact.”

Though PLC has been produced at the Lyons cement plant for more than 15 years, CEMEX is ramping up production to better align with the company’s ambitious carbon reduction goals and meet increased demand for lower carbon materials. Last year, CEMEX implemented its Future in Action program to reduce CO₂ throughout its value chain and announced updated climate goals. The aggressive targets include reducing the company’s CO₂ emissions by 40% by 2030 compared to 1990 baseline levels and working to deliver net-zero concrete globally by 2050. As part of its commitment to climate action, CEMEX joined carbon neutrality roadmaps from the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA) and Portland Cement Association (PCA). CEMEX is also a founding member of the First Movers Coalition, an initiative that unites more than two dozen companies worldwide to spur innovation and the use of decarbonization technologies.