Press Releases

November 9, 2020

• CEMEX and Membrane Technology & Research, Inc. are working on a low-cost innovative CO₂ capture technology to be implemented in CEMEX’s Texas cement plant.

CEMEX, S.A.B. de C.V. (NYSE: CX) (“CEMEX”) announced today that its U.S. operations have been awarded a grant from the United States Department of Energy (“DOE”) to research and develop innovative carbon capture technology at its Balcones cement plant in Texas. The grant will be used to partially fund a feasibility study to implement this technology and is expected to be an important advancement towards CEMEX’s ambition to deliver net-zero CO₂ concrete globally by 2050.

In this initiative, CEMEX is partnering with Membrane Technology & Research, Inc. (“MTR”) to conduct an 18-month study at CEMEX’s Balcones cement plant in New Braunfels, Texas, and explore the potential CO₂ emission reduction from installing new membrane technology in the plant’s production process. According to MTR, the membrane will act as a semi-permeable barrier through which CO₂ can pass, facilitating carbon capture at a minimal adoption cost.

“At CEMEX, sustainability is embedded in our operations, and we are consistently looking for opportunities to reduce our carbon footprint,” said CEMEX USA President Jaime Muguiro. “We strive to develop and gradually adapt new technology which will help us achieve our ambition to deliver net-zero CO₂ concrete to all of our customers. With this grant, we will be able to leverage our expertise to define the feasibility of implementing the membrane carbon capture technology in a cost-effective manner.”

“Cement plant emissions are a good target for the CO₂ capture membrane technology that we’ve been developing with DOE support,” said MTR Vice President of Technology Tim Merkel. “We look forward to working with CEMEX on this exciting project to confirm that our technology can capture cement plant emissions at a minimal cost.”

Early this year, CEMEX announced its Climate Action strategy, defining a global target of a 35% reduction of CO₂ emissions per ton of cementitious products by 2030. Additionally, it is the industry's first company to target a CO₂ reduction in its European operations of at least 55% by 2030. To complement this strategy with a longer-term vision, the company also established an ambition to deliver net-zero CO₂ in all its concretes globally by 2050. CEMEX is investing globally to reduce its carbon footprint in all of its operations.

Carbon Capture Utilization & Storage technology is a key lever to deliver on its 2050 ambition. To achieve that milestone, CEMEX is currently participating in 20 projects worldwide aimed at accelerating the development of technological solutions which have the greatest potential to minimize the cost of capture, utilization or avoidance of CO₂ on an industrial scale.

About Membrane Technology and Research
Membrane Technology and Research MTR is a world leader in the development and production of membrane-based separation systems for the petrochemical, natural gas, and refining industries. Since its beginnings in 1982, MTR has grown continuously as industry embraced membranes as an effective gas separation technology. After MTR sold its first commercial system to the petrochemical industry in 1992, the portfolio of applications expanded quickly. MTR now provides a full range of gas separation solutions for petrochemical plants, refineries, and gas processing facilities.

About CEMEX
CEMEX is a global building materials company that provides high-quality products and reliable services. CEMEX has a rich history of improving the well-being of those it serves through innovative building solutions, efficiency advancements, and efforts to promote a sustainable future. For more information, please visit: www.cemex.com
 

CEMEX assumes no obligation to update or correct the information contained in this press release. This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws. CEMEX intends these forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements in the U.S. federal securities laws. These forward-looking statements reflect CEMEX’s current expectations and projections about future events based on CEMEX’s knowledge of present facts and circumstances and assumptions about future events, as well as CEMEX’s current plans based on such facts and circumstances. These statements necessarily involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from CEMEX’s expectations.