building a better future - Cemex

long-term impacts of emissions
reduction efforts
In 1990 our clinker factor stood at 84 percent and no alternative
fuels were used in our production processes. Since then,
we have taken significant steps to reduce our CO2 emissions
and overall environmental footprint. Clinker reduction and
alternative fuel substitution have greatly reduced the direct
emissions from our manufacturing processes, while projects
such as our EURUS wind farm help to curb the indirect CO2 impacts
associated with our power needs. Together, these efforts
represent more than 7.5 million tons of avoided CO2 emissions
compared with our 1990 baseline. That’s equal to offsetting
the annual emissions of 1.3 million passenger vehicles, or saving
nearly 16 million barrels of oil from being consumed.
AVOIDED CO2 EMISSIONS
VS. 1990 BASELINE
thousand tons
6,000
4,000
2,000
2,199
6,603 6,483
05 09 10 11
Through alternative fuel substitution
Through clinker factor reduction
7,072
developing alternative energy sources
Our EURUS wind farm in Oaxaca, Mexico, has the capacity to
provide 25 percent of the energy needed to run our Mexican
operations, and in 2011, allowed us to avoid 489,169 tons of
CO2 emissions.
We are exploring ways to further reduce our carbon footprint
by using efficient process technologies and changing the way
we source electricity. In 2011, for example, CEMEX Philippines
launched a collaborative project with Sinoma Energy
Conservation Ltd to devise a system for capturing waste heat
from our kilns to produce clean, alternative electricity. At our
Solid Cement plant in the island of Luzon, this technology is
expected to yield 6 MW of onsite energy production each year,
representing 27 percent of energy needs at the Solid plant and
producing an annual cost savings of approximately 35 percent
from grid rates.
1990 2005 2009 2010 2011
Lead in Sustainable Construction
Clinker factor (%) 84.3 81.4 75.1 75.9 75.1
Alternative fuels rate (%) 0.8 5.1 16.4 20.3 24.7
Through these and other projects, CEMEX will continue to
evaluate the feasibility of low-carbon and renewable energy
solutions, including the possibility of wind and solar energy
generation at many of our operations.
Direct emissions
CO2 emissions avoided from clinker factor
(tons) – 1,943,054 5,472,510 4,909,144 5,316,862
CO2 emissions avoided from alternative
fuels factor (tons) – 256,468 1,130,068 1,574,212 1,755,724
Total CO2 emissions avoided vs. business as
usual 1990 baseline (tons) – 2,199,522 6,602,578 6,483,355 7,072,586
Indirect emissions
CO2 emissions avoided from Eurus Project in
Mexico (tons)
– – 149,760 440,939 489,169
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