27

Active climate protection: Reduction of carbon emissions

in the

firing process

In July 2023, Duravit laid the foundation stone for a state-of

-

the-art ceramic plant in Matane in the Canadian province of

Québec. Since then we have been working intensively on

bringing the facility on stream, which is scheduled to happen

this year. The facility raises the bar on ceramic production

and is making a key contribution to reducing our carbo

n

footprint

.

In addition, the highly automated manufacturing processe

s

ensure a consistently high quality standard and support our

employees in their work. Duravit is also investing in driverles

s

transport systems and a modern die-casting process t

o

further boost e

fficient working processes.

Sustainable technologies and carbon savings

The electric kilns are the heart of the new 35,000 m² produc

-

tion hall. These allow us to manufacture sanitary cerami

c

products in an entirely new way. The technology for the

first

electric roller kiln for sanitary ceramics was developed by the

world’s leading industrial kiln manufacturer Riedhamme

r

from Nuremberg. The kilns are operated almost entirely us-

ing renewable hydroelectric power and save around 8,50

0

tons of CO2 per year compared to a conventional cerami

c

factory. We are expecting the

first toilet to roll out of the ne

w

facility in the fourth quarter of 2025.

Sustainable growth and local productio

n

Duravit is continuing its growth journey with its new manu

-

facturing facility in Matane, Canada. The new facility is

a

seamless

fit in our Local for Local strategy, under which the

globally oriented production facilities seek to procure their

resources locally and target the products they manufacture

at the local market. The location of the new facility directly

on the Saint Lawrence river makes for easier logistics and

saves up to 1,500 tons of carbon dioxide per year. In addition

,

the facility mainly produces sanitary ceramic tailored to th

e

American market, which is reflected in the portfolio selected

speci

fically for that country

.

GRI 305-1 | GRI 305-2 | GRI 305-3