Michelmersh to Produce the World’s First 100% Hydrogen Fired Clay Bricks.
Meet the next era of Sustainable Construction Materials.
Michelmersh has announced its successful bid to the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS) UK Government, Industrial Fuel Switching competition to conduct a feasibility study to replace natural gas with hydrogen in the brick making process.
The project represents a global flagship physical study to replace natural gas with hydrogen in brick manufacturing. Phase 1 of the project will demonstrate the viability of fuel switching and will see hydrogen used in the clay brick production process at Michelmersh’s Freshfield Lane site. The project aims to inspire radical change across the sector and present opportunities and evidence-based research to support manufacturers on their journey to heavily decarbonise the production processes. The programme is part of the £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio (NZIP) which aims to provide funding for low-carbon technologies to decreasing the costs of decarbonisation.
Michelmersh is excited to inspire radical change across the sector and present new opportunities and research to support manufacturers on the journey to massively decarbonise the production process.
The Group is proud to stand at the forefront of such evolution for our industry. While we have seen energy costs rise due to environmental and political factors, this incredible application of technology and innovation allows the Group to reduce its costs considerably, improve its resilience and welcome new products that take sustainability to a whole new level. While we look forward to the challenges ahead of us, we are optimistic about the change we can inspire within the manufacturing sector. With decades of experience producing high-quality products and with the aid of our industry-leading partners, the Group is well suited to lead the UK with this flagship global first.
“The Group has set ambitious 2030 Sustainability KPIs which include 100% of our electricity provided by green suppliers and renewable sources from October 2022, with other onsite renewable energy sources already on the ground at Michelmersh sites. The team understands the impact this project could have if successful, however, it also recognises there is a long journey ahead before hydrogen is fully tested throughout the multiple different production processes or is financially viable to expand to all our sites. Our Sustainability Group sees this project as just one string to its bow, while also undertaking a variety of research and feasibility projects to determine the most carbon-efficient and commercially sensible solutions to complete its ambitious sustainability roadmap.
Frank Hanna, Joint CEO of Michelmersh
Click here to read more about the consortium of industry experts we’ve teamed up with, and to find out more about what we expect from the project.
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