COP29: Cemex secures Net-Zero Industries Award

Chris Bowen MP, Australian Minister for Climate Change and Energy. Cathy Mann, Cemex Director of Public Affairs. And The Hon Leonore Gewessler, Austrian Federal Minister for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology. Image: Cemex

Cemex has secured the Net-Zero Industries Award from Mission Innovation at the COP29 for its innovative clinker decarbonisation.  

Cemex was presented the award during a ceremony at COP29 which is being held in Baku, Azerbaijan.  

Cemex has invested heavily in developing a method of using concentrated solar power to decarbonise clinker alongside Synhelion, which specialises in clean technology, including the high-temperature solar heat technology used in the process. 

“Together with Synhelion, we are pioneering solar-powered clinker production, a breakthrough process that can contribute to decarbonising cement manufacturing,” said Davide Zampini, vice president of global research and development at Cemex.  

“This award recognises our vision of achieving net-zero CO₂ emissions, as well as our passion for innovation.” 

The Net-Zero Industries Award showcases innovation in industrial decarbonisation including the people and projects which are leading the way. These people and projects are helping to decarbonise energy-intensive industries.   

Mission Innovation is a global initiative to drive action and investment in research, development, and demonstration to make clean energy affordable, attractive, and accessible to all in this decade.  

Synhelion Solar Receiver. Image: Synhelion

Cemex partnered with Synhelion in 2019 to reduce CO₂ emissions in cement production. This collaboration led to a significant milestone in 2022 with the first successful production of solar clinker in a small-scale pilot.  

Building on this success, the technology was scaled further in 2023 by enabling continuous clinker production over an extended period—a key milestone for implementing the technology at an industrial scale. Cemex and Synhelion are advancing toward developing a solar-driven, industrial-scale pilot cement plant.  

“We congratulate Cemex on winning the Net-Zero Industries Award, which is a testament to our shared vision to decarbonise cement manufacturing and pave the way for a more sustainable industry,” said Gianluca Ambrosetti, Co-chief executive officer and co-founder of Synhelion.  

“The solar clinker project is an example of the transformative power of clean energy innovation in industrial processes.” 

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