Cemex, WtEnergy bags €4.4M EU grant to implement green tech at Alicante cement plant

The European Union has given Mexico-based Cemex and Barcelona’s WtEnergy Advanced Solutions a €4.4M grant for the implementation of a waste-to-fuel technology utilising synthetic gas at its Alicante cement facility in Spain.

The European Union has designated the initiative as “the first of its kind” for the cement sector.

Everything you need to know about the new technology

WtEnergy invented “Clyngas”, a technology that replaces fossil fuels with synthetic gas obtained from waste and leftovers from other sectors, substantially lowering the carbon footprint of cement operations. 

Cemex Ventures, Cemex’s venture capital and open innovation subsidiary, has a stake in WtEnergy Advanced Solutions.

Over a ten-year period, the Clyngas project might save the Alicante plant from emitting more than 400,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions. 

The selection committee praised the project for its “strong innovation component, reliability, and the improvement it represents in the use of gasification technology.”

The aim of this initiative is to become a net-zero CO2 firm. It is a part of Cemex’s Future in Action programme, which is on a mission to create sustainable excellence via climate action, circularity, and natural resource management.

Fernando A. González, CEO of Cemex, says, “Innovation is crucial in our efforts to decarbonise our operations and lead the industry’s efforts to evolve for a more sustainable future.” 

“Our products and solutions help build the structures that humanity needs to thrive, and technologies like this one ensure that we enable cleaner, lower-carbon, and more circular construction,” adds González.

Brief about WtEnergy and Cemex

Waste to Energy Advanced Solutions aims to provide inexpensive energy while promoting change in the energy industry with clean, low-carbon solutions for businesses and consumers. This will help with the sustainable management of waste.

WtEnergy was founded in 2017 as a result of its founder Andrés Ponce’s 20 years of expertise in gasification, biofuels, and the production of clean energy (thermal and electric). 

In order to grow the company commercially and extend the use of technology inside key industries and sectors, Antonio Crous joined the project as a co-founder in 2019. 

Cemex is a building materials firm committed to creating a better future via sustainable goods and solutions. It is dedicated to attaining carbon neutrality via innovation and industry-leading R&D. 

In the construction value chain, Cemex claims to be at the forefront of the circular economy in developing “innovative” technologies to expand the use of waste and residues as alternative raw materials and fuels in its operations. It offers cement, ready-mix concrete, aggregates, and urbanisation solutions.