Iberdrola España tackles the electrification of ceramics in Castellón
- A conference organised with the provincial branch of the Valencian Community’s Association of Industrial Engineers.
- Companies and institutions explained what’s needed to tackle the technological change to reduce emissions and increase competitiveness.
Iberdrola España and the Castellón branch of the Valencian Community’s Association of Industrial Engineers organised the conference 'Electrification of industry, planning and integration into the grid', which analysed the different processes involved in planning the electricity sector and discussed the various opportunities to electrify industrial processes that are already causing an increase in demand.
The session was opened by Mariano Hernández, president of the Association of Industrial Engineers of the Valencian Community in Castellón, and Ibán Molina, Iberdrola España’s institutional representative in the Valencian Community, Ibán Molina. Then there were various presentations demonstrating that the transition of the ceramics sector to electric kilns is an opportunity not only to significantly reduce CO2 emissions but also to maintain competitiveness and improve product quality.
During the conference, José María Vicente, Head of High Voltage Planning at i-DE for the Eastern Region, explained the company's investment plan in the province for 2025–28, which will enable it to support the province's industrial sector in its electrification processes. He pointed out that distribution companies must have a coherent and stable model, with adequate remuneration, accompanied by administrative simplification to speed up turnover.
Salvador Ferrer, a researcher in the Sustainability Area at the Ceramic Technology Institute (ITC), gave a presentation on the ceramic sector’s estimated electricity demand in Castellón to plan the adaptation of the electrical infrastructure to meet its energy needs for the industry’s decarbonisation.
The conference also addressed the steps that companies must take to carry out electrification projects in factories, and a round table discussion was held to share success stories of different companies that have already taken the step of replacing natural gas with electricity in their day-to-day operations and the lessons learned during that process.
The new electric kilns, a technology developed in the province of Castellón itself, represents an opportunity for the Valencian Community and for Spain to position themselves at the forefront of the manufacture of a new generation of equipment and to drive the electrification of the ceramic industry.
Representatives from Monfort Ingenieros, Equipe Cerámicas, Systemfoc, Onix, Kerajet, Qualicer and i-DE participated in the informational event, which was closed by José María Andrés, deputy of the delegation of Internal Engineering, Environmental Transition, Renewable Energies and the Natural Environment.
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