Bricks have been made the same way for a long time, but a factory in Greater Manchester is changing the recipe. Wienerberger UK & Ireland recently got government funding to switch its Denton brickworks from natural gas to 100% green hydrogen. This £6 million project will make Denton the first commercial-scale brick plant in the world to use hydrogen to fire its kilns.
The UK government sees hydrogen as a great way to help heavy industries get cleaner. Because making bricks requires massive amounts of heat, finding an alternative to fossil fuels is a major priority. The Denton site is now the main testing ground for the entire British ceramics industry.
Making the Switch to Hydrogen
The team has to retrofit two massive tunnel kilns, which involves replacing 224 burners. They also need to build a whole new infrastructure to handle the hydrogen and upgrade the electrical control systems.
The hydrogen itself will come from Trafford Green Hydrogen. It’ll be delivered by “tube trailers” to a special station on-site. The plan is to have one kiln running, or both partially converted, by Autumn 2027. By 2028, the whole site should be running entirely on hydrogen.
Once everything is running, the plant will cut over 11,600 tons of CO2 emissions every year. To put that in perspective, that’s like heating nearly 5,000 UK homes for a year.
Quality Remains the Same
According to Wienerberger, it has done plenty of testing to make sure the bricks stay just as strong and look exactly the same. The workers at the plant will also get new training to handle the updated safety systems and technology.
“Securing this funding represents a truly pivotal moment for both our business and the broader ceramics sector,” Keith Barker, Chief Operating Officer at Wienerberger UK & Ireland, said. “This pioneering initiative is proof of what can be accomplished when industry, technology partners, and government join forces.”
Barker added, “The Denton project will deliver substantial reductions in carbon emissions, whilst upholding product quality, production capacity, and operational robustness. It exemplifies our commitment to building for what’s next – embracing innovative technologies and sustainable practices that shape the future of construction and manufacturing.”
This project is just one part of the company’s plan to reach net-zero by 2050. They are also working on an electric kiln for roof tiles at another site.
