Lucideon has successfully completed the first 100 per cent hydrogen firing at a £10 million centre helping an international blueprint for the decarbonisation of energy-intensive industries to take shape.
The advanced ceramics research organisation worked with Creavit Türkiye on the alternative energy project to successfully fire sanitaryware solely by hydrogen, over 13 hours at 1200°C, at The AMRICC Centre in Stone.
Firing using 100 per cent hydrogen represents a significant first in the centre’s innovation stakes. It opened earlier this year to support research and development in the advanced ceramics industry and operates under an open-access format, ensuring materials, processes, and technologies can be developed at a commercially relevant scale and shared across industrial and academic fields.
The facilities have enabled Lucideon to pave the way for energy-intensive industries, such as bricks, roof tiles, tableware, and sanitaryware, to utilise hydrogen in their energy strategies, while the firing of ceramic cores in the kiln could help the decarbonisation of aeroengine component manufacture.
Mark Dudson, Chief Operating Officer, Advanced Materials at Lucideon, who oversaw the project, said: “After leading the way on blended natural gas and hydrogen in 2022 and an intensive project to redesign the kiln and fuel supply system, Lucideon and The AMRICC Centre marked another major milestone in the mission to support the international ceramics industry on the journey to Net Zero.
“The team is now gearing up to start delivering client project work and it is great to see the strong international interest in the use of hydrogen as part of the ceramic industry’s decarbonisation journey.”
Lucideon joined forces with gas specialists BUSE Group, along with Cryoserve Engineering Services, Therser UK Ltd, and 6 Engineering Ltd, to achieve the successful outcome.
In-keeping with the innovative nature of the project, the hardware used in the process was also partially funded by the Innovate UK EconoMISER programme, awarded to the Foundation Industries Sustainability Consortium (FISC), of which Lucideon is one of five partners.
