CalPortland’s Oro Grande Cement Plant has been honored with the 2025 Energy & Environment Award for Energy Efficiency by the American Concrete Association (ACA). This recognition celebrates the plant’s ongoing commitment to sustainability, energy efficiency, and environmental stewardship through innovative practices and significant emissions reduction initiatives.
The Oro Grande Plant earned this distinction by advancing a series of impressive energy efficiency projects, supported by the plant’s participation in the Strategic Energy Management (SEM) program. The SEM program provides guidance, coaching, and online tools to track energy performance from project design to successful implementation.
One such project was the modernization of its clinker cooler system, which previously consumed large amounts of electricity. By developing and implementing a new process, the Oro Grande team reduced electricity consumption by nearly 2 million kWh annually, marking a major step forward in energy conservation.
Additionally, the plant pursued alternative fuel solutions by obtaining a kiln fuel consumption permit and investing in new infrastructure. This led to the design and installation of an alternative fuels receiving and conveying system that has a designed capacity of 6.22 tons per hour in fuel, which will displace high carbon fossil fuels and reduce the electrical load of the coal processing system.
The Oro Grande Plant remains committed to ongoing optimization of its alternative fuels program. These efforts support CalPortland’s broader mission to reduce the overall carbon footprint of cement production and to drive industry leadership in sustainable practices.
