Wienerberger UK & Ireland has secured government funding that will enable its landmark hydrogen kiln project at its brickworks in Denton, Greater Manchester, to proceed.
Funding from the UK Government’s Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IEFT) will part-support a £6 million conversion programme that will transition the site’s existing natural-gas-fired brick kilns to run on 100% green hydrogen. This will make Denton the first commercial-scale hydrogen-fired brick plant in the world.
Hydrogen firing has been identified by the UK Government as a promising long-term solution for high-temperature industrial processes. Denton brickworks now stands as a flagship deployment for the UK ceramics sector, providing a replicable blueprint for future decarbonisation across Wienerberger’s wider manufacturing network.
The project includes the retrofit of two tunnel kilns – replacing 224 natural gas-powered burners, installing new hydrogen supply infrastructure, and upgrading electrical and control systems – without altering the structural integrity of the existing kilns.
Under the Hydrogen Allocation Rounds (HAR) funding scheme, the fuel will be supplied under a 15-year Hydrogen Supply Agreement with Trafford Green Hydrogen, jointly developed by Carlton Power and Schroders Greencoat. Deliveries will be made via tube trailers to a dedicated onsite hydrogen offloading and pressure-reduction station.
The target is for one kiln to be fully operational, or both kilns partially converted, to hydrogen firing by autumn 2027. The complete transition to 100% hydrogen firing across the entire site is scheduled to be achieved in autumn 2028.
Once fully operational, the switch from natural gas to green hydrogen is expected to reduce CO2 emissions at the Denton brickworks by over 11,600 tonnes per year, equivalent to a 9% reduction in Wienerberger’s annual Scope 1 and 2 carbon emissions. This investment supports Wienerberger’s long-term strategy to reach net-zero carbon emissions and helps to meet rising demand for low-carbon building materials across the UK. This emissions reduction is equivalent to heating 4,957 UK homes for a year*.
As Denton prepares for hydrogen-fuelled firing, its on-site teams will undergo training to enhance their skills, focusing on newly implemented safety systems and updated operational procedures. Meanwhile, testing carried out through a DESNZ-funded, cross-industry research programme led by Ceramics UK provided confidence that the strength, appearance, and wider technical performance of the clay bricks will remain unchanged. This ensures that the switch to hydrogen firing will have no significant impact on product quality or performance.
Keith Barker, Chief Operating Officer at Wienerberger UK & Ireland, remarked: “Securing this funding represents a truly pivotal moment for both our business and the broader ceramics sector. This pioneering initiative is proof of what can be accomplished when industry, technology partners, and government join forces.
“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.”
The Denton brickworks hydrogen kiln project forms part of Wienerberger UK & Ireland’s broader sustainability roadmap, which includes the installation of the UK’s first fully electrified tunnel kiln for manufacturing roof tiles at Broomfleet.
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*Heating the UK’s 25 million homes produces 58.5 million tonnes of CO2 per year, that is an average of 2.34 tonnes CO2 per home in the UK. Source: National Housing Federation (2021).
