Ceramics UK reveals 100% hydrogen pilot kiln

Trials firing member-produced ceramic products with hydrogen have officially commenced.

The pilot kiln is billed as a key milestone in Ceramics UK's ‘Demonstrating Hydrogen in the Ceramics Sector’ project.

Dr. Andrew McDermott, Deputy Chief Executive of Ceramics UK and Project Lead believes this is the first time in the world a pilot kiln of this scale has successfully operated entirely on hydrogen fuel.

The custom-built pilot kiln has been designed to explore the use of hydrogen as an alternative fuel for ceramic production.

The first-ever demonstration of firing diverse ceramic products using 100% hydrogen was the first phase that this milestone builds on.

This project is supported by 13 ceramic manufacturing companies representing all subsectors of the UK ceramics industry.

It is being conducted in collaboration with Glass Futures, a not-for-profit research and technology organisation, at their R&D facility in St Helens.

Funding for the project was awarded by the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero through Phase 2 of the Industrial Fuel Switching Phase 2 Competition.

‘This is a pivotal moment in our journey towards a sustainable future for the UK ceramics industry,’ Ceramics UK CEO Robert Flello says. ‘The successful operation of the pilot kiln on 100% hydrogen and the initiation of member product trials represent a significant milestone for the project and a crucial step towards a lower-carbon future for the sector.’