Bathroom manufacturer Duravit has announced its plan to build the world’s first climate-neutral ceramic plant, in Matane, Canada.
The new plant is scheduled to open in 2025 and will also mark the brand’s first production site on the North American continent.
The new Matane facility will produce Duravit’s ceramic sanitaryware products for American and Canadian consumers and will be exclusively powered by renewable energy sources. One of these will be another world first – an electric roller kiln that draws electricity from hydro-power.
Duravit says these renewable energy sources will allow it to save approximately 11,000 tons of CO2 emissions every year.
In addition to the new plant’s climate-neutral status, Duravit says that it has implemented sustainable logistical solutions for its North American operations. Once the plant is up and running, raw production materials will be sourced directly from the Canada and the US, which will reduce emissions further.
To fund the sustainable production facility, the government of Canada has provided Duravit with a repayable contribution of $19 million (£14.8m), through its Regional Economic Growth through Innovation programme. The Government of Quebec is also granting Duravit a $11m loan through its ESSOR programme.
Duravit chief executive Stephan Tahy said: “We are very proud to act as forerunners in designing a sustainable sanitary industry and to actively face the challenges posed by climate change. At Duravit, we are thereby establishing new standards to implement innovative solutions in a sector characterised by high energy consumption.”
Matane’s mayor Eddy Métivier added: “I am very proud and pleased that we are welcoming Duravit to our city. I salute the exceptional work done by all our partners in this project and, of course, the Duravit team, with whom we have been collaborating so well since the start.
“Businesses are major allies in developing our city, and the arrival of a multinational such as Duravit can only be a source of delight, confirming Matane’s economic vitality now and in the future.”
Earlier this year, Duravit reported it had seen record revenue in 2022, with a 16% increase and just under €100 (£88) million growth compared with the previous financial year. Last year, it also announced it had launched its first range of recyclable shower trays.