Iberdrola and Porcelanosa tackle the first solution to electrify ceramics production by combining renewables, green hydrogen and heat pumps

• The project, called GREENH2KER, has been submitted to the European 'Innovation Fund Small Scale' programme and is aimed at real investment measures with a high innovative content.

Iberdrola and Porcelanosa are tackling the first innovative full-scale solution to electrify ceramics production, combining renewables, green hydrogen and heat pump. The project, called GREENH2KER, is the first to be carried out jointly following the agreement recently reached between the two companies to advance the decarbonisation of the industrial process in ceramics production.

The initiative has a dual objective. On the one hand, the use of energy and the reduction of CO2 emissions through the development of a system of coupled use of green hydrogen and heat pump that will be implemented in a furnace of the Porcelanosa factory in Vila-real. A solution that seeks to optimise waste thermal energy by replacing up to half of the natural gas as fuel with green hydrogen.

The integral project includes the incorporation of an electrolyser at Porcelanosa's facilities, powered by a photovoltaic plant for the production of green hydrogen. It will also include a technological structure that will make use of excess waste heat and heat from the production lines by means of high-efficiency systems.

With this modification of the combustion system, Porcelanosa seeks to integrate the generation of green hydrogen with the efficient use of the heat pump to reduce 2,351 tonnes of CO2 eq/year and reduce the energy impact derived from its industrial activity, thus complying with the Decarbonisation Objectives set by the European Union.

The innovative solution, the first in this field in the ceramics industry, shows the way for the decarbonisation of this sector, as well as all other industries that are intensive in the use of thermal energy, which currently comes from the use of fossil fuels.

Together with Iberdrola and Porcelanosa, GREENH2KER has the collaboration of Sacmi, the international manufacturer of machines and complete plants for the ceramics industry. A measure that has been presented to the European Innovation Fund Small Scale programme, aimed at real investment projects with a high innovative content and which will be evaluated on the basis of their technological novelty, avoided GHG (greenhouse gas) emissions, as well as their maturity and replicability in the decarbonisation strategy of other industrial sectors.

Green investments for economic and employment revival

Iberdrola is convinced that the energy transition can act as a key driving force in the transformation of the industrial fabric and in the green recovery of the economy and employment. To this end, the company has launched a historic investment plan of 150 billion euros over the next decade -75 billion euros by 2025-, with which to triple renewable capacity, double network assets and take advantage of the opportunities of the energy revolution facing the world's major economies.

Investments in Spain amount to around 14.3 billion euros by 2025, mainly for the deployment of renewables and smart grids.

After twenty years promoting the energy transition, Iberdrola is a leader in renewable energy with nearly 35,000 MW installed; a volume that makes its generation park one of the cleanest in the energy sector.

With emissions of 98 grCO2/kWh, which is already two-thirds lower than the European average, the strategy of investing in clean energy and grids will lead Iberdrola to be a "carbon neutral" company in Europe by 2030.