Even if your birth certificate says 1843, you can still lead the way in sustainable brick production for the future . Vesterled Teglværk in Nybøl is a prime example of this. On April 30, 2023, the brickworks began the transition of production to exclusively produce the CO2-saving brick LESS. CO2 emissions in the production of the LESS series are reduced by 70-90% compared to a traditional brick burned on natural gas. This is because LESS is made with less raw material, is less energy-intensive to burn and dry, and is burned with certified biogas.
– Brickworks use a lot of energy because the bricks need to be fired at temperatures of over 1000 degrees. Our footprint is therefore not insignificant in a municipality like Sønderborg. We are very conscious of the fact that we need to be part of the solution to the CO2 challenge – both locally and globally. That is why we are investing heavily in the development and production of the bricks of the future, says Andreas Christensen, who is responsible for production at Vesterled Teglværk.
Recycle heat
The goal at Egernsund Wienerberger is for all their factories to be climate neutral by 2050. So far, Vesterled has succeeded in reducing total CO2 emissions by 55% and energy consumption by 50% since 1990. This has been achieved by, among other things, working systematically with energy optimization – including the purchase of new, more energy-efficient ovens. These are not insignificant savings when the brickworks’ total energy consumption in 2020 amounted to 57 GWh.
Vesterled has also worked to reuse some of the excess heat generated by the large kilns during firing in the brick drying process. But the plant produces much more heat than it can use. This also applies to the other brickworks in the Sønderborg area. Therefore, work is being done on the possibility of sending the surplus heat into the district heating system, where the area’s citizens can benefit from it.