Cemex will use abandoned fishing nets to produce alternative fuel for its kilns in Panama. Cemex, the Aquatic Resources Authority of Panama (ARAP) together with Audubon Americas as a facilitating partner, will provide a circular solution to the growing threat of abandoned fishing nets, or “ghost nets”, that endanger marine ecosystems in the country’s waters.
The cement producer will collect the fishing nets through its waste management business, Regenerative, and process it into alternative fuel for its cement kilns. The solution is part of the company’s Future in Action programme to achieve sustainable cement production.
"Cemex Regenera transforms waste into more sustainable solutions by using it as a substitute for more expensive and carbon-intensive fossil fuels in our cement production processes," said Jaime Muguiro, CEO of Cemex. "This project illustrates the transformative power of collaboration and resource-efficient practices," he added.
Eduardo Carrasquilla, general administrator of ARAP, stated that, "Over the past four years, more than six tons of derelict nets and plastics have been removed from Panama's coastal waters, which has benefited the fishing sector by improving fish habitats and reducing entanglement with fishing gear."
"Protecting these habitats, essential as natural carbon sinks and refuges for marine biodiversity, is also a way to combat climate change," said Julio Montes de Oca, director of coastal resilience at Audubon Americas.
