TECOMÁN, COLIMA — Holcim Mexico has announced an investment of nearly 200 million pesos ($10 million USD) in new specialized biomass infrastructure located in Tecomán, Colima, aiming to accelerate the transition toward sustainable building practices and lower-carbon cement production.
Executed through Geocycle, Holcim’s waste management subsidiary, the new facility will process roughly 45,000 tons of sugarcane bagasse annually—an agricultural waste volume equivalent to the organic waste generated by 120,000 people in a single year.
Sugarcane bagasse traditionally poses severe environmental hazards due to its high moisture content exceeding 50%, which frequently triggers spontaneous fires and releases harmful pollutants. To solve this challenge, Geocycle implemented an innovative thermal drying technology that utilizes excess hot air from cement kilns. The system dries up to 220 tons of biomass daily, reducing moisture levels to 10% and grinding the material so it can be co-processed as an alternative fuel for cement manufacturing.
“Innovation makes true sense when it solves environmental challenges and generates value across the entire chain,” said Christian Dedeu, CEO of Holcim Mexico. “With this project, we are transforming agricultural waste into a resource to produce cement with a smaller carbon footprint, accelerating the circular economy.”
By substituting non-renewable raw materials with agricultural waste, the project will prevent approximately 55,000 tons of CO2 emissions annually—equivalent to the annual electricity consumption of 11,500 homes.
The initiative marks a significant step forward in industrial decarbonization, strengthening cross-sector collaboration between Mexico’s construction and agricultural industries while mitigating environmental risks across the region.
Source: Valor Compartido
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