18 Sep Emission reduction strategies by Mykonos Cerámica

08-19-2023

Mykonos Cerámica is a company committed to the environment and sustainability.

The ceramic industry has been working for decades to reduce the environmental impact of its products.

During this period, it has managed to reduce CO2 emissions per m2 produced by 60%, compared to those emitted by the sector in the 1980s, and has reduced total CO2 emissions by 24% compared to 1990.

All these advances have been possible thanks to the energy efficiency measures applied by the sector. To meet the goals of the European Union, in the future it will be necessary to align production with the use of fuels of 100% renewable origin.

Under this premise, some of the alternatives proposed for the ceramic tile sector are the following:

• Replace the natural gas used in the cooking and drying process with fuels low in carbon emissions. Fuels such as green hydrogen or biofuels are one of the most contemplated options in the future, since their implementation would require less transformation of the equipment than if the entire production system were to be electrified.

In this aspect, biomethane obtained from biogas has great advantages, since the same circuits that are used for natural gas could be used and the production process would not require any type of adaptation. However, it is still not considered a realistic option in the short term, due to its low availability, capacity limited productive capacity and lack of sufficient political impetus for its deployment at the national level.

• Increase the implementation of on-site renewable energies for self-generation of energy that covers the necessary electricity requirements of the entire process. A short-term option would be to buy electricity from 100% certified renewable sources. ç

*Extract from the Environmental and Circular Analysis of Spanish ceramic tiles by ASCER.