CX - Cemex achieves cement production breakthrough using solar energy

Cemex (NYSE:CX) said it achieved a significant step toward producing cement with solar energy, successfully linking production of key cement component clinker with heat technology developed by Swiss synthetic fuels company Synhelion. Clinker is produced by combining limestone, clay and other materials in a rotary kiln at temperatures nearing 1,500°C; fossil fuels are typically used to heat the kiln and account for 40% of direct carbon dioxide emissions from the process. Cemex said a pilot test conducted using Synhelion's solar receiver delivered temperatures above the required 1,500°C, resulting in the first successful clinkerization ever achieved using only solar energy; the clinker was used to produce cement and was then further processed to produce concrete. "Replacing fossil fuels entirely with solar energy is a game changer in the industry's efforts to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050," Cemex said. The company has set a goal of producing concrete with net zero carbon

For further details see:

Cemex achieves cement production breakthrough using solar energy