Fuel switching to transform our sites

Wall: Denton brickworks

Pioneering hydrogen‑fired brick manufacturing.

At our Denton brickworks in Greater Manchester, we are setting a new benchmark for the UK ceramics sector by converting existing kilns to run on 100% green hydrogen. Backed by the UK Government’s Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF), this £6 million project involves retrofitting two tunnel kilns. It includes the replacement of 224 gas burners, alongside new hydrogen infrastructure and upgraded control systems, while preserving the kilns’ existing structure.

Once fully operational, the project is expected to:

• Reduce CO₂ emissions at Denton by over 11,600 tonnes per year.
• Deliver an estimated 9% reduction in our UK & Ireland Scope 1 and 2 emissions.
• Maintain the strength, appearance and technical performance of clay bricks, supported by cross‑industry testing.



Hydrogen firing is widely recognised as a long‑term solution for high‑temperature industrial processes. Denton will act as a flagship project—helping to inform future decarbonisation pathways across the ceramics and wider manufacturing sectors.

Roof: Broomfleet tileworks

Electrifying clay roof tile production

Building on this approach, our Broomfleet site in East Yorkshire demonstrates how electrification can scale low‑carbon manufacturing. Here, we are constructing Factory e, a £30 million investment that will feature a fully electric tunnel kiln. The new factory line replaces traditional gas‑fired dryers and kiln with an electric firing system, supported in part by the UK Government’s Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF).

The new electric kiln is expected to:

• Reduce Scope 1 carbon emissions by around 75%, compared to the traditional gas-fired dryers and kiln.
• Save more than 4,700 tonnes of CO₂ per year.
• Maintain product quality, capacity and operational resilience.

Factory e is being built within previously unused space, allowing the transition to electric firing without disrupting existing production. Alongside this, teams are being trained to safely operate and maintain the new electrified systems.

Together with our hydrogen investment at Denton, Broomfleet demonstrates a multi‑technology approach to decarbonising heavy clay ceramic manufacturing.

Roof: Smeed Dean tileworks

Low‑carbon design from day one

Following investments at our Sandtoft and Goxhill tileworks, which transform our existing operations, our Smeed Dean tileworks in Sittingbourne shows what’s possible when environmental sustainability is built in from the outset.

As our first concrete roof tile factory in the South of England, the 7,800 m² site is fully electrified and designed to embed environmental sustainability at every stage of production. It manufactures Danum TLE large format and plain concrete tiles across two production lines.

Key features include:

• Fully electrified production supported by renewable energy.
• Air source heat pumps to cure concrete tiles.
• Smart lighting across the factory.
• A 10,000‑litre rainwater harvesting system.
• Participation in The Pallet LOOP, reusable pallets to reduce wood waste.



By locating production closer to southern markets, Smeed Dean also reduces average transport distances by over 200 miles, cutting associated transport emissions while strengthening regional supply resilience.

Water: FloPlast Sittingbourne

Roof-top solar for our plastic products

We have reduced embodied carbon of our plastic pipes, fittings and roofline drainage systems by installing solar panels on the roof of our Sittingbourne factory. This array is designed to provide around 20% of the site’s annual consumption, with the remaining power supplied via a deep green electricity contract.

Our investment in solar panels amplifies the impact of our carbon reduction plan for this site that also includes:

• Upgrading to energy efficient plastic extrusion processes
• Smart lighting across the factory
• Use of electric forklifts