Primus Ceramics launches today, in partnership with SACMI, the first emissions-free dryer (Greenhouse Gas Emissions)!
It’s the first ceramic dryer powered 100% by electricity generated from renewable sources, resulting in a disruptive innovation for the sector. With an installed capacity of 800kW, this equipment can operate at full capacity, using exclusively the energy generated by the
photovoltaic plant. Among its numerous advantages, it highlights the automatic switching capability between electric and/or GN (natural gas) mode, "hybrid", ensuring production continuity under ideal conditions.
Founded in 1969 and partnering with SACMI since 2008, Primus Ceramics has a production capacity of 4 million m² per year, 75% of which are destined for export. Primus Ceramics' growth strategy is based on solid pillars such as quality, efficiency maximization, process innovation, carbon footprint reduction, and sustainability, serving as differentiating factors in the market.
Regarding energy process innovation, the initial milestone was the installation of the first phase of the photovoltaic plant in 2020, followed by a new expansion completed in 2023. This expansion aimed to accommodate new sustainability goals, currently generating 2GWh of energy, avoiding the emission of 1,000 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere annually. This process culminated in the SACMI partnership, involving a recent intervention in the existing dryer (5-story ECP Model), to enable its full operation using electricity generated by the photovoltaic plant.
To achieve this goal, SACMI made changes to the 4 modules of the dryer, equipping them with suitable resistances, providing a total installed power of 800kW. This power is sufficient to run the machine at full capacity without the requirement for conventional fuel.
The strong point of the dryer, after this reconfiguration, is its ability to operate in both fully electric and natural gas (GN) modes, as well as in "hybrid" mode (for example, two electric modules combined with two GN gas modules), thus ensuring production continuity even under variable energy availability conditions from the photovoltaic plant. In summary, a machine equipped to ensure operational continuity under all circumstances. Another advantage, thanks to SACMI's know-how, is the ability to perform interventions on the existing machine without affecting the layout of the factory unit.
This solution can be easily replicated on a large scale, and SACMI, after the success achieved at Primus Ceramics, presents it as an additional opportunity towards the decarbonization of the ceramic industry.
Sustainability linked to the life cycle of products is a fundamental requirement for competitive positioning in the market. Therefore, we aspire to become the leading national company in ceramic tiles production, with the lowest carbon footprint per m² produced.