Green Hydrogen in the Kiln: Decarbonising Porcelain Slabs

Ceramic tiles are fired at well over 1,000 °C, which makes tile production one of the most energy-intensive parts of the building-materials industry. In Germany alone, tile makers emit around 1.6 million tonnes of CO₂ a year — roughly half of the country's ceramics-sector emissions. Cutting that footprint is one of the industry's biggest challenges.

The H2 Factory in Castellarano

In the heart of the Emilian ceramic district, Iris Ceramica Group and Edison Next produced what they describe as the world's first ceramic slab fired partly with green hydrogen. The slab measures 3.2 × 1.6 m at 12 mm thick.

• Hydrogen is produced on site by electrolysers powered by solar energy (a new 1.3 MWp array alongside an existing 2.5 MWp plant).

• The test phase blended around 7% hydrogen into the kiln fuel, with a target of 50% once the full 1 MW electrolyser is running.

• At full scale the partners expect to replace about 500,000 m³ of natural gas and avoid roughly 900 tonnes of CO₂ each year.

Other routes to lower-carbon tile

Hydrogen is only one option. Manufacturers are also testing electric dryers, electrified kilns, heat recovery and higher recycled content in their bodies and glazes. When you specify tiles, asking for an Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) is the easiest way to compare the real footprint of different products.

What it means for buyers

Lower-carbon ceramic keeps everything that makes tile a great long-term choice — durability, easy maintenance, no VOCs — while shrinking the impact of making it. Ask us which of our collections come with EPDs and sustainability certifications.

Source: Ceramic World Web

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