Cemex Secures $13 Million Funding for Lower-Emission Vehicle Replacements in Texas
Cemex has made significant strides in its commitment to decarbonizing its operations with the recent acquisition of substantial funding to deploy lower-emission vehicles across its U.S. footprint. As part of this effort, Cemex has participated in several state and federal sustainability programs, including the Texas Emissions Reduction Plan (TERP), which has awarded the company approximately US$13 million to replace conventional vehicles with eco-friendly alternatives.
The funding from the TERP program will enable Cemex to obtain four new lower-emission locomotives and two haul trucks, which will be deployed at the company’s cement and aggregate sites in New Braunfels and Katy, Texas. These vehicles will replace older, polluting equipment, significantly reducing emissions in line with the program’s objectives. The first three of the new locomotives and both haul trucks entered service in late 2023 and mid-2024. This initiative represents a critical part of Cemex’s strategy to reduce its carbon footprint and enhance its sustainability practices. By decommissioning the older vehicles, Cemex complies with the program’s core requirement of directly replacing polluting vehicles.
Looking ahead, Cemex’s sustainability efforts continue to grow. The company has been awarded a US$2 million grant through the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Diesel Emissions Reduction Act (DERA) program, which will support the deployment of two additional lower-emission locomotives in Jacksonville and Miami by the summer of 2025. Jaime Muguiro, Cemex U.S. President, emphasized the importance of these initiatives, stating, “Through these state and federal programs, significant strides toward advancing responsible business practices are more attainable. Our new lower-emission vehicles play a key role in the development of building materials for roads, schools, hospitals, and more, while also being pivotal to our CO2 reduction roadmap.”
Cemex’s commitment to sustainability extends beyond Texas. In Victorville, California, the company has already deployed multiple lower-emission locomotives, and in Southern California, nearly 40 low-emission natural gas trucks were added to the fleet in 2022, replacing older diesel-powered vehicles. Additionally, Cemex received US$2.5 million in 2023 from the EPA’s Targeted Airshed Grants (TAG) program to support further emissions reduction efforts. These efforts are part of Cemex’s broader sustainability program, Future in Action, which aims for net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050. Through initiatives like these, Cemex continues to make significant progress toward achieving its decarbonization goals while contributing to a more sustainable and responsible future for the cement and construction industries.
