CIMPOR scales private 5G networks across global operations for Industry 4.0 and decarbonisation

CIMPOR has completed a multi-site rollout of private 5G networks across its three principal Portuguese cement plants and is preparing to apply the same blueprint to its wider global portfolio, the company and its technology partners say.

The Mobile Private Networks at Souselas, Alhandra and Loulé run on Ericsson Private 5G technology and were delivered in collaboration with Vodafone Portugal. According to the companies, the dedicated cellular infrastructure replaces or supplements legacy wireless systems on large industrial sites characterised by heavy equipment, dust, vibration and extensive metal structures, and provides site-wide coverage with latency below 10 milliseconds.

Vodafone Portugal led installation, parameter setting, configuration and deployment of the radio equipment, while defining core network parameters with CIMPOR and managing integration of the industrial applications that run over the network, the operator said. Ericsson described the deployment as a repeatable private-network model that can be scaled across multiple sites, noting the flexibility of private 5G to support Internet-of-Things sensors, autonomous vehicles and other connected systems.

CIMPOR is already using the networks to underpin a cluster of Industry 4.0 applications. Drones now carry out inspections in hard-to-reach areas, smart and VR glasses support remote maintenance assistance and training, and tablets replace paper processes to accelerate data collection. Sensors feed predictive maintenance systems, video cameras support safety monitoring and artificial intelligence is applied across several use cases running on the private networks. One industry blog also identified integration work with SAP during the initial deployments.

CIMPOR says the networks centralise control of industrial traffic on the company’s own infrastructure, separating critical on‑site communications from public mobile networks and traditional Wi‑Fi. The group reports that learning from the first rollout shortened deployment times at subsequent plants and that the template, comprising a common technology platform, a standard deployment process and a set of repeatable applications, will be extended to other facilities.

The company has published early assessments of the programme’s economic and environmental impact. Internal figures cited by CIMPOR attribute roughly a one per cent rise in overall efficiency across connected production systems at the three sites, which the group estimates equates to an annual economic effect of between USD $10 million and $15 million including direct and indirect impacts. CIMPOR also links that efficiency gain to an emissions reduction of about 140,000 tonnes of CO2. The firm expects predictive maintenance alone to cut unplanned failures and stoppages and to deliver up to USD $1 million in annual savings per plant.

The project has been framed by CIMPOR as part of a broader modernisation and decarbonisation strategy. CIMPOR, which is part of Taiwan Cement Corporation and operates in 14 countries on four continents, has declared ambitions around 5G connectivity, predictive monitoring and Industry 4.0 as elements of its path towards carbon neutrality by 2050.

“This implementation of private 5G networks across our production units marks a decisive step in strengthening the resilience, efficiency and safety of our industrial operations. This technology lays the foundation for a new generation of digital applications and enables us to operate with greater precision and responsiveness. This is only the beginning of a wider journey,” said Berkan Fidan, Global Chief Technology Officer at CIMPOR.

Henrique Fonseca, Executive Board Member, Enterprise Business Unit at Vodafone Portugal, emphasised the competitive and sustainability rationale: “The implementation of private 5G networks in these three CIMPOR factories not only demonstrates the company’s determined commitment to its sustainable future but also reinforces the role these networks play in enhancing economic competitiveness, particularly in industrial activities. With immediate communications and large-scale sensing, data can be interpreted quickly, and a wide range of remote activities becomes possible – expanding the reach of these factories well beyond their physical locations.”

Manish Tiwari, Head of Enterprise 5G at Ericsson, characterised the rollout as an example of standardisation around repeatable private-network models: “CIMPOR’s multi-site deployment illustrates how Ericsson Private 5G networks can transform industrial operations at scale. As enterprises move toward more automated and real-time processes, demand for reliable private cellular networks continues to grow. By establishing a replicable approach across three sites, CIMPOR now has a strong blueprint it can apply across its wider global footprint,” he said.

Industry data and vendor releases indicate growing uptake of private 5G in manufacturing and resource‑intensive sectors, where reliable low-latency connectivity is used to support automation, remote inspection, predictive maintenance and digital twins. CIMPOR’s Portuguese programme, by combining on‑site private cellular infrastructure with targeted applications, is presented by the company and its partners as both a productivity initiative and a building block for industrial decarbonisation efforts.

As CIMPOR moves to replicate the model, the blueprint envisages gradual integration of additional IoT systems, automation projects, digital twins and expanded use of autonomous vehicles on site, while vendors position the solution as a standard platform for scaled digital transformation in heavy industry.