A fuel-switching trial in St Helens, UK, has “successfully” demonstrated the use of hydrogen supplied by Ryze Power to produce a range of ceramic products, including bricks, tiles, pipes, and tableware.
Being carried out by Ceramics UK, Glass Futures, and Ryze, the trial’s pilot kiln fired 100% hydrogen to provide insights into the impact of hydrogen on ceramic products.
In an online statement, Ryze Power claimed the findings “further support the case for hydrogen as a viable alternative for direct combustion processes where electrification is currently not an option.”
The trial was backed by the UK Government Industrial Fuel Switching (IFS) programme. Ryze’s Power Sales Director, Alex Webster, said it’s vital to provide a range of alternative fuels, such as hydrogen, across the UK to “transition to Net Zero as soon as possible.”
Justin Kelly, CEO of Glass Futures, added that the “successful completion of the trials demonstrates the technical feasibility of low-carbon fuel alternatives,” and opens up “new opportunities for economic growth.”
This is not a first for the UK, however. Lucideon completed 100% hydrogen firing at the AMRICC Centre in Staffordshire last November. With Creavit Türkiye, they fired sanitaryware from hydrogen for over 13 hours at 1,200°C.
Iris Ceramica Group reportedly produced the “world’s first” ceramic slab from a green hydrogen and natural gas blend last year. The 3.2-metre-long slab was created at its H2 Factory in Italy, which used two temporary 120kW electrolysers to locally produce the hydrogen.
The UK’s IFS trials have also seen progress with hydrogen in other industries. Last month, Kellogg’s became the first UK food manufacturer to trial cereal production using hydrogen.
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