EU PROVIDES €2.5 MILLION IN SUSTAINABILITY SUPPORT TO THE CERAMICS SECTOR

• The INNOVATILE Project, funded by the European Union with €2.5 million, aims to reduce the environmental impact of the ceramics sector. With Türkiye as a key partner in the project, the goal is to achieve up to 35% efficiency in energy consumption and up to 20% efficiency in water and raw material usage through the development of new technologies.

The INNOVATILE Project, funded by the European Union under the Interreg NEXT MED Programme and launched on August 26th, aims to significantly reduce the environmental impact of the porcelain tile industry by developing a new and more sustainable production technology. The total budget of the project is €2,800,575.65, of which €2,492,512.33 is funded by the European Union. This contribution represents 89% of the total project cost.

The project aims to address the energy-intensive and resource-consuming nature of ceramic tile production by scaling up an innovative semi-wet granulation process. The expected key outcomes are:

• Energy and Emissions: A 30–35% reduction in energy use and greenhouse gas emissions. • Resource Efficiency: A 10–20% reduction in raw material and water consumption.

• Waste Integration: Inclusion of secondary raw materials (SRM) such as wastes and by-products into the production process.

• Raw Material Substitution: Using an alternative material instead of feldspar, a critical raw material in the EU.

For porcelain tile production

The technology to be addressed in the project is a semi-wet powder preparation technology for use in porcelain tile production, and this is based on prior experience in wall tile production. Following the validation process, a pilot application will be carried out with the end user. It is planned to implement this method in another country as well. Through an environmental analysis, this new process will be compared with traditional production methods.

The project will also establish a HypocarbonTileTech network to encourage collaboration among all stakeholders in the ceramic tile value chain on decarbonization, renewable energy, and waste management. This network aims to raise awareness among a wide audience, from students and researchers to industry professionals and decision-makers. Furthermore, policy recommendations will be prepared and shared with public authorities to ensure the project's long-term impact.

The consortium consists of three research institutions and four organizations from leading ceramic tile production regions:

• Spain: Instituto Universitario de Tecnología Cerámica. Universitat Jaume I de Castellón (Project Coordinator)

• Türkiye: Kaleseramik, Çanakkale Kalebodur Seramik San. A.Ş. and Çanakkale Teknoloji Geliştirme Bölgesi A.Ş.

• Italy: Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II

• Cyprus: ATLANTIS Environment and Innovation Ltd

• Tunisia: National Engineering School of Gafsa

• Egypt: Egyptian Center for Innovation & Technology Development