06 nov 2024
Italcer has unveiled a groundbreaking 100% electric kiln in Castellón, Spain, marking a significant step towards sustainable ceramic production.
This kiln, powered predominantly by clean energy, matches the technical and aesthetic standards of traditional gas kilns while eliminating CO2 emissions.
The initiative, a collaboration with Systemfoc and the University Jaume I, aims to decarbonize the ceramic industry by 2050.
The kiln reduces energy consumption by 30%, cutting company costs by over 5%. Italcer plans to expand this technology to other factories, including those in Sassuolo, Italy, where they will also implement a CO2 capture and conversion project.
In a significant move towards sustainable manufacturing, Italcer has launched a 100% electric kiln in Castellón, Spain.
This kiln, located in the Onda factory, is powered almost entirely by clean energy sources and is capable of producing ceramics with the same technical and aesthetic quality as traditional gas kilns, but without CO2 emissions.
The kiln, operational since June, is 30 meters long and can fire approximately 1, 000 square meters of tiles daily at 1, 200 degrees Celsius.
It not only reduces emissions but also cuts energy consumption by 30%, leading to a more than 5% reduction in company costs.
The heat from the kiln is reused for preliminary drying, further enhancing efficiency.
Previously, the factory produced 1, 500 tons of CO2 annually, and with carbon prices between 65 and 85 euros, the savings amount to at least 100, 000 euros annually in ETS quotas.
This project is the first fully operational electric kiln in the European ceramic industry, developed over two years with a 2 million euro investment by Equipe-Italcer, in collaboration with Systemfoc and the University Jaume I. The technology is designed for industrial scale and modularity, with plans to replace gas kilns in other factories to achieve zero emissions by 2050.
Italcer holds exclusive rights to introduce this green technology to the Sassuolo district.
The electric kiln's success challenges previous assumptions that electric kilns were only suitable for small batches and premium products.
In Spain, electricity costs are a third of those in Italy, with 70% of the grid powered by renewable sources, compared to 45% in Italy.
Equipe has further enhanced this with an additional 18% of photovoltaic energy from rooftop panels.
The firing process is the most energy-intensive and polluting stage in ceramic production, making its decarbonization crucial for the industry's sustainability goals.
Italcer's next project in Sassuolo involves building the first industrial plant for CO2 capture and conversion into reusable products, with plans to start construction by early 2026.
This initiative is part of Italcer's broader strategy to lead the ceramic industry towards sustainability, supported by investment funds Mindful Capital Partners and Miura.