wienerberger UK & Ireland has commenced construction on what is set to be the world’s first fully electric tunnel kiln dedicated to the manufacture of clay roof tiles. Located at the company’s Broomfleet roof tile manufacturing site in East Yorkshire, the project referred to as Factory e represents a defining commitment to decarbonising heavy clay manufacturing at an industrial scale.
The electric tunnel kiln will replace the existing natural-gas-powered firing process with a 100% electrically driven system, powered entirely by renewable energy. Once operational, Factory e is expected to reduce Scope 1 carbon emissions from the affected production line by 75%, translating to an annual saving of 4,700 tonnes of CO₂ all while maintaining the product quality and performance standards that the site has established over years of operation.
The project carries a total investment value of £37 million, making it one of the more significant capital commitments in UK clay manufacturing in recent years. Of this, £4.3 million has been secured through the UK Government’s Industrial Energy Transformation Fund (IETF), a programme specifically designed to support industrial fuel-switching and energy efficiency initiatives within hard-to-abate sectors.
The Industrial Energy Transformation Fund backing underscores the broader industrial relevance of this project not merely as a single-site upgrade, but as a demonstrable model for how energy-intensive manufacturers can transition away from fossil fuels without compromising output or commercial viability.
Factory e will be built on a disused production line at Broomfleet, with all legacy manufacturing equipment being fully replaced to enable the transition to electric firing. This approach ensures that ongoing production at the site continues without disruption during the construction and commissioning phases.
Civil engineering works are now actively underway on site. The former factory building has been cleared, and key equipment has already begun arriving in preparation for installation. The electrified production line will primarily manufacture plain tiles and their associated accessories fully replacing the gas-fired kiln previously used for this category of output.
The same raw materials currently used in the tile-making process will be retained. Wienerberger has stated that extensive trials and testing have provided confidence that product quality will remain consistent with current standards.
Alongside the physical infrastructure changes, Wienerberger UK & Ireland is making a parallel investment in its site workforce at Broomfleet. Production and engineering teams are being trained and upskilled to operate and maintain the new, more automated equipment that forms part of the Factory e setup. Modern automation and control technology is being integrated to improve safety, efficiency and manufacturing consistency across the line.
Keith Barker, Chief Operating Officer at Wienerberger UK & Ireland, commented on the construction commencement: “The start of construction at Broomfleet represents a pivotal step in our journey to decarbonise heavy clay manufacturing. Factory e demonstrates how electrification can deliver substantial carbon emission reductions while maintaining product quality, operational resilience and long-term competitiveness. Alongside our hydrogen brick kiln project at Denton, it underlines our multi-technology approach to achieving net zero and our commitment to building for what’s next.”
Mark Brook, Operations Director at Wienerberger UK & Ireland, added: “Factory e will fundamentally change how roof tiles are made at Broomfleet. We are installing the first electric kiln of its kind for clay roof tiles, alongside modern automation and control technology that improves safety, efficiency and consistency. The same raw materials will be used, and extensive trials and testing give us confidence that product quality will remain unchanged. We are also investing significantly in our site workforce, creating development opportunities as we upskill teams to use the latest technology.”
The Broomfleet electric tunnel kiln does not sit in isolation. It forms one pillar of Wienerberger UK & Ireland’s broader decarbonisation programme, which also includes a hydrogen-fuelled kiln project at the company’s Denton brickworks. Together, these two initiatives represent a multi-technology pathway to reducing industrial emissions across Wienerberger’s UK manufacturing operations one centred on electrification, the other exploring hydrogen as a fuel alternative.
By removing natural gas entirely from the clay roof tile firing process, Factory e directly supports Wienerberger’s stated ambition of achieving net zero carbon emissions across its operations. The project is planned for completion in 2027, a timeline that reflects the technical complexity involved in delivering a fully electric tunnel kiln alongside the associated site infrastructure and power upgrades required to support it.
For building and construction sector executives tracking the trajectory of low-carbon manufacturing, the Broomfleet project offers a concrete, costed and funded precedent for how net zero manufacturing transitions can be structured and delivered within the heavy clay industry.
