CEMEX USA recently announced it will increase Portland limestone cement (PLC) production at its Lyons, Colorado plant as it moves toward becoming the plant’s primary product this summer.
Although PLC has been produced at the Lyons cement plant for more than 15 years, CEMEX is ramping up production to better align with its carbon reduction goals and meet increased demand for lower carbon materials.
In PLC, finely-ground limestone replaces a portion of the clinker, cutting clinker factor by about 10 percent and reducing CO2 intensity compared to ordinary Portland cement (OPC).
Applications include ready mix concrete, paving, precast concrete, architectural precast products and concrete masonry units. Testing and end user feedback indicates PLC offers similar or better durability and resilience compared to OPC.
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CEMEX USA President Jaime Muguiro noted that the increased production of Portland limestone cement is one element of the company’s plan to reduce its carbon footprint and by making the lower carbon solution more available for those utilizing it helps provide a broader and more effective impact.
Last year, CEMEX implemented a program to reduce the company’s CO2 emissions by 40% by 2030 compared to 1990 baseline levels and work to deliver net-zero concrete globally by 2050.