CEMEX opens new £49m plant in UK

London - Building materials major CEMEX has opened a new cement grinding and blending plant at the Port of Tilbury in Essex. The £49 million investment, which has been under construction for the past two years, is the largest in the UK cement industry for five years, and the 1.2 million tonne plant will increase CEMEX UK’s cement capacity by 20%.

The basis for the products made at Tilbury is cement clinker, which is ground to a powder and blended with by-products from other industries to make cements for use in buildings and infrastructure projects. By reducing the amount of clinker in the blended cement, it enables every tonne of clinker to go further and lessens the overall impact of its manufacture and makes it more sustainable.

The plant is equipped with the first vertical cement mill in the country, which uses 20-40% less energy than traditional horizontal mills. The mill combined with the blended cement capabilities, shipping, barge and rail loading facilities mean that the plant’s carbon footprint per tonne of finished product is further reduced.

CEMEX UK president, Gonzalo Galindo, said: “I am immensely proud of this plant, which truly demonstrates our commitment to the construction industry and confidence that the UK economy will bounce back. The energy efficiency of the UK's first vertical cement mill combined with the use of by products from other industries in our cements will significantly increase the sustainability of our end products.”

The Tilbury facility marks a step-change in the industry by producing blended cements in purpose-built, factory-controlled conditions, CEMEX claims. This, it said, will ensure quality control and product consistency, better safety for the 25-strong workforce and help to increase productivity and reduce energy use and materials wastage.