Energy

System Ceramics is accelerating the adoption of increasingly sustainable smart factory solutions and continuing its sustainability programme aimed at reducing emissions and water and energy consumption.

After a successful year 2022 with revenues up 38% to €1,508 million, the Spanish group launched its Ecombustible project in late June and purchased Ascale in August.

The German group has launched several initiatives for cutting CO2 emissions and reducing its environmental footprint

The facility is already under construction in Quebec and was designed together with Sacmi, which also built the fully electric roller kiln, a world first for this type of application.

Villeroy & Boch has signed a partnership with Eco-Tech Ceram as part of the environmental and energy transformation of its French industrial site.

From the uncertainties surrounding gas availability and prices to the race to replace Ukrainian raw materials. The Italian ceramic tile industry is facing the challenge of rising costs against the backdrop of a very buoyant market.

According to preliminary figures published by Confindustria Ceramica and Prometeia, total sales reached 458 million sqm, up 12% on the pre-Covid year 2019. Exports climbed by 15% against 2020 and by 13% with respect to 2019, while Italian domestic sales returned to growth after 20 years (+9% compared to 2019).

According to the preliminary figures compiled by the MECS - Acimac Research Centre, the sector’s year-end turnover will rise to €2,145 million, 45% up on 2020. Almost 6 months of production is guaranteed in 2022

Energy bills, that have more than tripled since the beginning of the year, are wiping out the effects of the economic recovery. The risk for some companies is to be forced to reduce production in the coming months

Soaring prices of raw materials, components, logistics and energy are driving up production costs in the ceramic machinery sector by 30%. Mongardi (Acimac): “We risk wiping out the entire recovery in a matter of weeks”

Revenues in the second quarter of 2021 totalled 417 million euros, 11.5% higher than in the first quarter of the year. The excessive increase in costs is a cause for concern.