Energy Saving initiatives

As a historical European reference for insulating fire bricks, IFB REFRACTORIES helps its customers to reduce their energy consumption and C02 emissions in their high temperature processes.

However, the refractory industry remains energy-intensive. Bricks need to be fired at very high temperatures (between 1000°C and 1500°C). Efforts must continuously be made to reduce energy consumption in the manufacturing processes.

Historically IFB REFRACTORIES, was created at a time when energy was not easily accessible. Our manufacturing process was therefore designed to save as much energy as possible. The use of saw dust from oak trees as the organic filler is the best example. It allows our bricks to spontaneously fire at the entrance of our kilns. This helps reaching the required high temperature from the start of the firing process.

Other steps to continuously improve the energy consumption in the process include better insulation, process control and enhanced adoption of eco-friendly practices. This led to a Year-to-Year reduction of our global energy consumption to a double-digit level per ton produced.

These results show that efforts pay off and encourage us to keep improving further.