Philosophy
In pursuit of a dream: sustainable kilns
Keraben Grupo is a member of the Dream project,promoted by the European Union and which seeks to cut energy consumption in tile kilns by 20%
Imagine a scenario where ceramic tiles, a natural and sustainable material are fired in increasingly environmentally-friendly kilns capable of cutting emissions and energy consumption. This is nolonger a dream, but rather a growing reality thanks to a series of research projects aimed at improving energy efficiency in the ceramic tile sector.
Preventing the risks associated with climate change is a key priority for Europe.
The European Union is channelling major efforts into achieving significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions: within the frame of its Climate Action programmes,one of the key targets for 2020 is a 20% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared with 1990 levels.
Further goals included in the action include a 20% rise in energy efficiency, with renewable energy sources providing 20% of the total power consumed. However, the objectives for 2030 are even more ambitious: the aim is to cut greenhouse gas emissions by at least 40%, increase the amount of power obtained from renewable energy sources to 27% of the total, and a rise of at least 27% in energy efficiency levels.
In order to achieve these objectives, two years ago the ceramic tile industry launched ‘Dream’(an acronym for “Design for Resource and Energy efficiency in ceramickilns”). Coordinated by Sacmi Forni, a total of 11 partners have signed upto the initiative, including Keraben Grupo, whose strategic objectives are fully in line with those of this project.
"A look back at the past reveals that progress in the ceramic tile sector is the result of numerous technological innovations. More innovation is required in order to continue moving ahead”.
This is the opinion expressed by Luis Guaita, head of the Keraben Grupo department responsible for implementing Dream, during his intervention at #Tech4CV, held last December. The event targeting the Valencia Community Alliance for Enabling Technologies (#ComunitatValencia) is a magnificent example of the way numerous companies have committed to sustainable innovation.
In line with this strategy, Dream aims to cut power consumption in ceramic tile kilns by 20%, as well as reducing costs andemissions by 30% and 20% respectively, whilst increasing overall production levels in the sector. As Luis Guiata (Head of R&D&I at Keraben Grupo) stressed, firing “is the most energy intense process in ceramic tile production”, and it is therefore vital to focus on introducing ongoing improvements in this area.
The last three years have seen the launch of as many as five development initiatives to reach this goal, with Keraben Grupo actively involved in two: emission reductions based on gas cleaning, and boosting energy efficiency using an insulating material (a reflective coating) that has been proved to be capable of cutting heat transmission through the kiln walls. Reducing the amount of energy lost makes the kilns more efficient and therefore more sustainable.
In addition to this major step forward, Keraben Grupo is working on ongoing improvements in the areas of quality and maintenance as part of its commitment to producing first class designer ceramic tiles whilst guaranteeing optimum sustainability. Before the launch of the Dream project, Keraben Grupo had already achieved a 20% reduction in emissions over a 5 year period,despite rising production levels in its plants.
14th February is not just Valentine’s Day, but also Energy Day, a tradition dating back more than half a century intended to raise awareness of the need for the rational use of resources. Keraben Grupo is fully committed to respecting and caring for the environment, and is determined to take advantage of this month to boost the visibility of several of its groundbreaking sustainability projects.
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement N° 723641
