The Horizon Europe project eLITHE kicked off at the beginning of January 2024, marking a significant milestone in the quest for sustainable industrial practices.
An EU-funded project – eLITHE – has been launched to advance the decarbonisation of the ceramic industry. Led by Fundación CIRCE, Spain, it will showcase innovative, sustainable, and cost-effective pathways for electrifying high-temperature thermal processes such as melting, calcination, and firing.
eLITHE, which stands for “Electrification of ceramic industries high temperature heating equipment,” aims to demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of electrification in the ceramic industry, thereby contributing to a greener manufacturing sector. The project will unfold at three demonstration sites located in Spain, Greece, and Germany, showcasing the larger applicability of the solutions proposed.
The four-year initiative, scheduled to run until December 2027, kicked off in Zaragoza, Spain, on 23-24 January 2024 at the Fundación CIRCE premises.
Roberto Arévalo, Project Coordinator at CIRCE, stated: “2024 has begun with an electrifying partnership to modernise the ceramics industry, reduce CO2 emissions and advance toward 2050 climate neutrality. The eLITHE project will develop novel electric heating solutions to decarbonize the ceramics industry and improve its competitiveness through digitalisation, materials circularity and energy storage, as part of its mission to contribute to the Net-Zero Industry Act (NZIA).”
The eLITHE consortium, coordinated by CIRCE, brings together 18 partners from 9 European countries, with experts in the ceramics and electrification sectors.
The project will develop solutions, such as microwave-assisted heating in Mytilineos (Greece), novel flexible hybrid H2 burners in IZF (Germany) and electric technologies in Torrecid (Spain). Its enabling technologies will be smart control through digital twins, novel sensors and materials, and high temperature energy storage.
The project will open its website in the next few months and establish a presence on social media platforms to engage with industry stakeholders and the broader public.
