The first ceramic roller kiln production line utilizing zero-carbon ammonia-hydrogen combustion technology was put into operation in Foshan, south China's Guangdong Province, a key hub for the ceramics industry on Thursday.

This innovative technology uses pure ammonia, which is an efficient hydrogen carrier, as the fuel, replacing traditional fossil fuels and achieving zero carbon dioxide emissions during the ceramic firing process.

As high-temperature industrial emissions accounted for over 70 percent of China's national carbon emissions, the potential widespread application of this technology could significantly reduce carbon emissions in China's manufacturing sector and contribute to global carbon reduction efforts, said Cheng Yibing, a strategic scientist at Foshan Xianhu Laboratory and leader of the ammonia-hydrogen combustion project.

Foshan Xianhu Laboratory has established a research center for developing industrial zero-carbon combustion technology, aiming to overcome challenges related to the stable burning of pure ammonia, said Cheng, adding that it is the first globally to achieve industrial-scale application of ammonia-hydrogen zero-carbon combustion technology.

The new production line, located at a ceramics company in Foshan, spans 150 meters with an annual output capacity of 1.5 million square meters. It allows for a flexible mix of natural gas and ammonia in ratios ranging from 0 percent to 100 percent. Utilizing 100 percent pure ammonia as fuel would eliminate combustion-related carbon dioxide emissions entirely.

Experts said that this production line not only validates the feasibility of large-scale application of ammonia-hydrogen combustion technology in industrial kilns but also provides crucial technical support and data accumulation for promoting the technology across China, accelerating the transition to zero-carbon manufacturing.

Foshan is a major center of the ceramics industry in China, with the sector's total output value exceeding 100 billion yuan (14.21 billion U.S. dollars) in 2023. The city produced 745 million square meters of ceramic tiles and over 18 million sanitary ceramics, accounting for approximately 10 percent of the national output. The ceramics manufacturing process is carbon-intensive. It is estimated that producing one square meter of ceramic board would generate about 13 kilograms of carbon emissions.

Industry insiders predict that if the ammonia-hydrogen zero-carbon combustion technology is implemented across Foshan's 160 ceramic production lines, the annual carbon dioxide emissions could be reduced by approximately 665,000 tonnes.