Cemex unveils its 1st HVO-powered vehicle in the UK
Cemex unveiled May 23 its first-ever vehicle powered by hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO), also known as renewable diesel, in the U.K. in support of its Future in Action program.
The program, according to the company, acts as the driver for Cemex to become a carbon net-zero business by 2050.
HVO is a diesel-like biofuel that can be produced without fossil resources by processing renewable waste.
“[It] is now one of the leading alternative renewable fuels available to the construction industry, producing up to 90 percent less CO2 emissions than traditional diesel fuel, and will act as a transitional fuel, helping to lower CO2 emissions while the industry moves towards more longer-term solutions such as electric or hydrogen power,” Cemex stated.
The vehicle will be operating out of Cemex’s Tilbury cement plant, which sits on the River Thames and serves the London and South East building and construction markets.
Cemex’s Tilbury cement plant has achieved the ISO 14001 environmental accreditation, and the company said the addition of its new HVO-powered vehicle is another example of Cemex’s commitment to environmental sustainability.
“Cemex aims to lead the industry in its approach to creating a more sustainable future through its Future in Action program, which sets out a combined approach to tackling climate change by reducing carbon emissions, introducing circularity into its operations, and increasing biodiversity,” Cemex stated.
Alongside its continued progress to decarbonize operations in order to reach net zero by 2050, Cemex said it is also taking innovative approaches to creating lower-carbon building and construction materials through its Vertua range, increasing biodiversity through vital restoration work at its quarry locations and finding ways to reduce carbon emissions across its supply chain through increased rail activities and the use of alternative fuels such as HVO.
“The introduction of the new HVO-powered vehicle at our Tilbury plant is another important step on our journey towards reducing carbon emissions within our heavy-goods vehicle fleet,” said Dave Hart, Cemex’s supply-chain director for the U.K. “Electric- and hydrogen-powered alternatives are either still in development or do not yet have the range or the infrastructure to be supported across our larger vehicle fleet. HVO biofuel therefore provides us with the opportunity for us to reduce carbon emissions, acting as a transitional fuel, while we continue to assess other emerging technologies such as electric and hydrogen power.”
Comments