Mexico: Cemex Mexico subsitituted 36% of it cement fuel with alternative fuel (AF) in 2022. This exceeds the Mexican cement industry’s target for 2030, of 32%. Mexico Business News has reported that the producer used 1.05Mt of AF across its operations. This reduced its CO2 emissions by 1.8Mt, and prevented 850,000t of methane emissions from being generated in landfill. Cemex Mexico’s Huichapan cement plant in Hidalgo set the company record for the year, with 207,000t of AF co-processed in its cement production. It produced 3.2Mt of cement for the Bajio, Central, Central-North, Laguna and Southeast Mexico markets.

Sustainability Manager Carlos Medina said "Last year’s results motivate us to intensify our efforts and uphold good practices that benefit communities and the environment. We will keep promoting environmentally friendly solutions in all our operations, as we are convinced that all social actors must collaborate to lay the foundations for a better future."

Mexico: Geocycle Mexico aims to process 1Mt of industrial and urban waste into alternative fuel (AF) for use in Holcim Mexico's cement plants in 2023. The El Economista newspaper has reported that the company processed 600,000t-worth of waste in 2022. Geocycle Mexico says that it has helped to raise Holcim Mexico's AF substitution rate to 25%.

The supplier said "Latin America is the region that recycles the least in the world. According to the World Bank, less than 5% of the real capacity we have is recovered. That is why, for 30 years, we have sought to solve this problem by integrating waste into Holcim's production process."

Peru: Grupo Gloria subsidiary Cemento Yura plans to transition its Yura cement plant from using coal to alternative fuels (AF) in its cement production. Additionally, the producer will build a 30MW solar power plant at the site. The Gestión newspaper has reported the total value of the upgrades as US$50m. Both projects are scheduled for commissioning in mid-2025.

In the 2023 financial year, which ended on 30 June 2023, Peruvian cement despatches fell by 8% to 12.6Mt.

Brazil: Votorantim Cimentos has secured a US$150m loan from the International Finance Corporation for an upgrade to its Salto de Pirapora cement plant in São Paulo. The producer aims to increase the alternative fuel (AF) substitution rate at the 4.8Mt/yr plant, and reduce its CO2 emissions. It says that the loan is tied to sustainability performance indicators (SPIs), based on the reduction in the plant’s Scope 1 CO2 emissions.

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