Cemex USA and Ford receive EPA Energy Star recognition

Cemex USA, an Energy Star partner since 2004, is receiving the Energy Star Partner of the Year award for strategic energy management and a commitment to save energy across its entire operation that has resulted in significant energy and financial savings. This is the second year that Cemex USA has been named Partner of the Year.

April 1, 2010

Cemex USA, an Energy Star partner since 2004, is receiving the Energy Star Partner of the Year award for strategic energy management and a commitment to save energy across its entire operation that has resulted in significant energy and financial savings. This is the second year that Cemex USA has been named Partner of the Year. In 2009, Cemex reduced its overall energy intensity by 2.2% as a result of its energy management program using Energy Star guidelines. More than 1.1 million MBTUs were saved through such measures as commissioning two new cement lines using state-of-the-art vertical roller mills for finish grinding, replacing and repairing compressed air systems, and upgrading plant lighting. This energy savings resulted in cutting 107,500 metric tons of CO2 emissions and is equal to providing electricity to 14,900 American homes for one year, or avoiding emissions from about 19,700 passenger vehicles.

The energy management program at Cemex employs a corporate energy management team and a site energy team at each plant to deliver on the company’s energy conservation and sustainable manufacturing practices. Cemex cement plants in Clinchfield, GA, Davenport, CA, Knoxville, TN, Louisville, KY, and Wampum, PA, have all received Energy Star certifications for their work to protect the environment through energy efficiency.

Ford’s recognition results from the company’s 2009 energy efficiency improvement of 4.6%, resulting in savings of approximately $15 million. Actions that have enabled Ford’s energy efficiency gains include updated heating and lighting systems and advanced computer controls. The 2010 award marks the fifth consecutive year that Ford has been recognized with the EPA’s Energy Star Award for its actions to reduce the amount of energy used to manufacture vehicles.

Since 2000, Ford’s U.S. facilities have improved energy efficiency by more than 30%. That’s equivalent to the annual energy consumed by more than 110,000 homes. Actions taken by Ford since 2000 that have contributed to its overall energy efficiency improvement include:

  • Using flexible tooling to assemble multiple vehicles on the same production line, which requires less manufacturing floor space and optimizes plant utilization;

  • Facility lighting system updates by replacing inefficient high-intensity discharge fixtures with up-to-date fluorescent lights and control systems;

  • Upgrading paint process systems, including booth air handling and improved emission controls;

  • Continued development of Ford’s “Paint Shop of the Future” processes, including fumes-to-fuel that turns paint fumes into electricity, the 3-Wet painting process that significantly reduces the footprint and energy use of paint booths, and zirconium oxide pretreatment that uses less energy to inhibit surface corrosion;

  • Installation of advanced computer controls on all North American plant air compressors for paint shop applications and pneumatic tools;

  • Use of a PC power management program to improve global energy efficiency with an estimated reduction in the company’s carbon footprint of between 16,000 and 25,000 metric tons annually;

  • A “Go Green” dealership sustainability program to improve the energy efficiency of Ford and Lincoln Mercury dealerships;

  • Aggressively curtailing energy use during extended production shutdown periods;

  • Leveraging the Energy Star program through employee energy awareness communications and events, development of energy modeling and analysis tools, and replication of industry best practices; and

  • Updating heating systems at manufacturing facilities by replacing outmoded steam powerhouses with digitally controlled direct-fired natural gas air handler.

www.cemex.com

www.ford.com