In a bid to reduce its carbon footprint, Iris Ceramica and Snam have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop the first hydrogen-powered ceramic factory in the world, the companies have said.
The new plant is expected to be developed in Reggio Emilia, Italy, and will utilise green hydrogen, produced from solar energy, to power the operations of the facility.
In doing so, the project will support the hydrogen supply chain and boost the zero-emission technological prowess of the region.
A photovoltaic system, with a power of 2.5MW, will be installed on the roof of the plant and will be combined with an electrolyser and a renewable hydrogen storage system for production on site.
The use of a blend of green hydrogen with natural gas will then be used to reduce the carbon emissions to pave the way for further renewable energy applications in the future.
This blend is expected to increase so that the entire plant runs on 100% hydrogen.
Marco Alverà, CEO of Snam, said, “Green hydrogen is the ideal energy vector for decarbonising an energy-intensive industry such as that of ceramics, a sector in which our country has companies of international excellence like Iris Ceramica Group.
“This collaboration, in addition to the initiatives we are pursuing in other sectors such as steel, glass and rail transport, is a first step towards the future in ceramic production at zero emissions of carbon.
“Through our infrastructures and our technologies, we want to contribute to enabling a national hydrogen supply chain to favour the achievement of national and European climate objectives and at the same time guarantee the competitiveness of our industry.”
