Supply limitations and high prices of renewable hydrogen will pose a challenge to the Spanish ceramics sector's decarbonisation goals, according to an industry association.
Companies in the sector are mulling the use of renewable hydrogen in their operations, "but it is a real challenge because of the volume that we need and the cost", the general secretary of Spain's association of ceramic tile and flooring manufacturers (ASCER), Alberto Echavarria, told Argus.
The industry currently consumes around 15TWh/yr of natural gas, accounting for nearly 10pc of Spain's industrial gas demand. This would equate to around 380,000 t/yr of hydrogen, based on the higher heating value of 39.39kWh/kg. And it would not be far off the 500,000 t/yr of conventional hydrogen made from natural gas with unabated emissions that Spanish industry as a whole consumes currently.
Making 380,000 t/yr could require some 4GW of electrolyser capacity for the ceramics industry alone, equivalent to over one-third of Spain's 2030 target of 11GW.
In any event, existing technology can support no more than 10pc hydrogen blending in the kilns, Echavarria said. ASCER is in talks with kiln manufacturers developing hydrogen-ready ovens, but these are in a testing phase and are not expected to be available at industrial scale in the near future.
Alternatives for decarbonisation are thin on the ground. Electrifying operations is not a viable option, Echavarria said. While some parts of the ceramic production process can run on electricity, the industry ovens, known as kilns, fire at temperatures reaching 1,200°C, which are much too high for electricity. And the kilns represent 50-60pc of the sector's energy consumption, according to Echavarria.
Another alternative would be to use biomethane or e-methane, at least until hydrogen-fired kilns reach industrial scale. This approach would require minor modifications in facilities and would allow them to continue using the current infrastructure and distribution system. But biomethane is also only available in small volumes, and making e-methane requires electrolytic hydrogen, raising the same issues over supply availability and costs as direct hydrogen use.
Net emissions could also be reduced by implementing carbon capture technology but this would be even less cost-competitive, Echavarria said. It would require mechanisms to concentrate CO2 molecules at a focal point, which is an expensive undertaking, he said.
Piping hot
Future hydrogen use for ceramics production would depend on connections to a hydrogen pipeline system.
Spain's ceramics industry, which is the largest in Europe, is mainly concentrated in Castellon, where more than 150 facilities are based.
It is not practical to "have 150 electrolysers" and produce locally, Echavarria said, not least because the plants would need round-the-clock hydrogen supply to maintain the high temperatures.
ASCER has been collaborating with Spanish gas system operator Enagas on plans for the development of the Spanish hydrogen backbone to ensure access for its companies, he said. Firms have also looked into sourcing hydrogen via trucks, according to Echavarria. But this would require storage facilities, raising costs and safety concerns.
