BP and CEMEX partner for net-zero cement

BP and building materials company CEMEX have partnered to accelerate progress of CEMEX’s ambition to deliver net-zero CO₂ concrete globally by 2050.

Concrete is the world’s most widely used construction material. Its main ingredient, cement, is produced at a rate of more than 4bn t/y and is responsible for 8% of global emissions.

Working together under a memorandum of understanding, BP and CEMEX aim to develop methods to decarbonise cement production and transport, which could include low carbon power, low carbon transport, energy efficiency, natural carbon offsets, and carbon capture, use, and storage technologies.

Juan Romero, Executive VP of Sustainability, Commercial, and Operations Development at CEMEX said: ‎“Concrete plays an integral role in society, and there are no substitutes for its key ‎attributes, strength, and resilience. We believe it will continue to have a critical role in a ‎low carbon economy, and the challenge for the industry is to find solutions to the ‎manufacturing process emissions.”

He adds that the initiative with BP is amongst others CEMEX has with partners across industries, academia, and startups, aimed at delivering net-zero CO₂ concrete globally.

In February, CEMEX received funding for a collaborative project to develop a pilot carbon capture unit at a cement plant in the US. Last year, the company announced a partnership to develop industrial-scale carbon capture technology for the cement industry costing less than US$30/t.