Iberdrola and Porcelanosa have launched the first project to electrify ceramic production by combining renewables, green hydrogen and heat pump technology. The GREENH2SKER project is the first joint project that these two companies have launched after recently entering into an agreement to promote the decarbonization of the industrial ceramic production process.

GREENH2SKER will improve energy use and reduce CO₂ emissions by developing a system that uses both green hydrogen and a heat pump to be implemented in an oven in a Porcelonosa factory in Vila-real. This solution will optimize residual thermal energy, replacing up to half of the natural gas used as fuel with green hydrogen.

The project includes installing an electrolyzer on the Porcelanosa site, powered by a photovoltaic plant to produce green hydrogen. It will also include a technological structure that will utilize excess waste heat and heat from the production lines by means of high-efficiency systems.

By making these changes to its combustion system, Porcelanosa will integrate green hydrogen generation with the efficient use of a heat pump to avoid releasing 2,351 t of CO₂ /eq year and reduce the energy impact derived from its industrial activity, thus complying with the decarbonization objectives set by the EU.

Sacmi, an international ceramic industry plant and machinery manufacturer, will also collaborate on the GREENH2KER project. The measure has been presented to the European Innovation Fund Small Scale Projects program, aimed at real investment projects with highly innovative content. It will be judged according to its new technology, GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions savings and the maturity and replicability to decarbonize other industry sectors.