Clwyd West MS Darren Millar visited Raynes Quarry CEMEX UK in Old Colwyn this week and was impressed by the company’s biodiversity efforts, their work to become a new-zero CO2 company by 2050, and all that they are doing to support the local community.
As well as visiting the Quarry and finding out more about the business, Darren was also shown the company’s Jetty in Llanddulas.
CEMEX is a global manufacturer of building materials and the biggest Mexican investor in the UK. In England and Wales, they are a leading provider of aggregates, cement, ready-mixed concrete, asphalt and concrete building products.
Speaking after his visit, Darren said:
“It was a real pleasure to visit Raynes Quarry and to meet the team. The Raynes site is one of the company’s key sites in England and Wales, in both the way it operates and for the biodiversity net gain that it has provided.
“I was amazed to learn that the quarry supports 132 different types of wildlife, including, 87 different varieties of flowering plants spotted, including several types of orchid. This has in turn attracted many different butterflies and moths, such as ringlet, small heath, common blue, dingy skipper, dark green fritillary and cinnabar moth.
“Due to their location, limestone from the quarry is transported by conveyor belts to a jetty, crossing the A55 and railway and is loaded onto coastal freighters. This allows materials to be transported directly to other UK and European ports from Raynes. By utilising the sea and river network, they are able to drastically reduce their carbon emissions, with a 75% CO2 saving compared to road transport. This provides an equivalent saving of more than 5,000 lorry movements. They hope to roll out the example set by Raynes across the country.
“I was told that the ultimate goal at CEMEX is to become a net-zero CO2 company by 2050. To ensure they are on the right track, they set the most ambitious 2030 targets available to the industry. They have supported this commitment, launching a range of low carbon concrete products, including the UK’s first carbon neutral ready mixed concrete, which achieves a 70% reduction in embodied carbon emissions.
“Overall, I was extremely impressed by all that they have achieved to date and are striving to achieve in the future. I am very proud to have such a successful manufacturer here in my constituency and I wish all the team at old Colwyn the very best going forward.”
