As part of the emissions-intensive construction industry, LAUFEN has a responsibility to make a significant contribution to a more sustainable world. LAUFEN is determined to do so. This undertaking requires commitment at every step: from design decisions and material selection, complex factory processes and product distribution, to relationships with suppliers and employee engagement.
Roca Group invested in the world’s first electric tunnel kiln for sanitaryware. In an effort to decarbonise the inherent energy and carbon-intensive production of ceramic goods, the company has taken a decisive step towards electrifying its production processes at its LAUFEN plant in Gmunden, Austria thanks to the cutting-edge technology from Keramischer Ofenbau.
WE HAVE A LONG-TERM GOAL TO DECARBONISE OUR OPERATIONS AND WE HAVE BEEN WORKING HARD TO FIND SOLUTIONS THAT WILL HELP US ACHIEVE THIS. THIS NEW PAN-EUROPEAN PARTNERSHIP NOT ONLY HELPS US ON OUR WAY TO NET-ZERO BUT IS ALSO A CLEAR STEP FORWARD FOR THE INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE.
ALBERT MAGRANS, CEO AT ROCA GROUP
Operating since November 2023, our electric tunnel kiln is producing sanitary ceramic without CO₂ emissions.
After four years of development, the first electric tunnel kiln for sanitaryware has successfully started production of complex ceramic pieces in Gmunden. The LAUFEN plant, which already uses electricity from renewable sources, was chosen for the first implementation of this pioneering technology as it is particularly conducive to the manufacture of the latest products of the highest quality.
THIS ELECTRIC KILN PROVES ONCE AGAIN, THAT OUR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES ARE FIT TO DECARBONISE EVEN THE CO2 INTENSIVE CERAMICS INDUSTRY. OUR ELECTRICALLY HEATED KILNS PROVIDE OUR CUSTOMERS WITH INCREASING INDEPENDENCE FROM THE ENERGY MARKET AND ALLOW FOR SUSTAINABLE AND ECONOMICAL PRODUCTION TODAY AND IN THE DECADES AHEAD. THIS GROUNDBREAKING AND INNOVATIVE PROJECT SHOWS THAT OUR TECHNOLOGY CAN MAINTAIN MAXIMUM QUALITY IN CERAMIC PRODUCTS WHILE MAKING A POSITIVE CONTRIBUTION TO OUR PLANET.
GÜNTER HALEX, CHAIRMAN OF THE ADVISORY BOARD AT KERAMISCHER OFENBAU
The courage to change
Christian Schaefer, Managing Director, LAUFEN Austria, tells in an interview with Anna Moldenauer from Stylepark about the next steps:
Gmunden has been a centre for ceramic production since the Stone Age, when the first clay vessels were crafted for salt extraction. For over 100 years, it has also been a key production site for LAUFEN – today one of its five production sites in central Europe. Visitors can explore the factory on an immersive tour.
