Cemex secured funding from state and federal programs to deploy several lower-emission vehicles across its U.S. footprint.
Through the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP), Cemex was awarded roughly $13 million to obtain four lower-emission locomotives and two haul trucks for its cement and aggregate sites in New Braunfels and Katy, Texas. According to Cemex, the TERP program provides financial incentives to eligible individuals, businesses or local governments to reduce emissions from polluting vehicles and equipment.
Three of the four new locomotives and both haul trucks entered service in late 2023 and mid-2024 in New Braunfels, respectively.
Cemex plans to continue its commitment to protecting air quality in 2025 by deploying additional equipment. A $2 million grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) program will allow for two lower-emission locomotives to enter Cemex’s service in Jacksonville and Miami this summer.
“Through these state and federal programs, significant strides toward advancing responsible business practices are more attainable,” says Jaime Muguiro, Cemex U.S. president. “Our new lower-emission vehicles play a key role in the development of building materials for roads, schools, hospitals and more, while also pivotal to our CO2 reduction roadmap.”
Upon placing emissions-reducing vehicles into service, Cemex decommissions the conventional vehicles they replaced, meeting a core requirement of the programs and reinforcing its commitment to a more sustainable future.
Additionally, Cemex is making similar efforts at other locations, particularly in Victorville, California, where multiple lower-emission locomotives were added to the company’s fleet. In 2022, nearly 40 low-emission natural gas trucks were introduced to the Southern California fleet, replacing an equal number of older, diesel-powered vehicles.
In 2023, another lower-emission locomotive was put into service, supported by a $2.5 million grant from EPA’s Targeted Airshed Grants (TAG) program.
Decarbonizing operations is a fundamental aspect of Cemex’s Future in Action program, which focuses on achieving sustainable excellence through climate action, circularity and natural resource management, with the primary objective to become a net-zero CO2 company by 2050.
Featured photo: P&Q Staff
