Climate-neutral firing process in Canada
A milestone in ceramics production
Latest news
11/09/2025
Where design meets sustainability: BDNY premiere
Duravit unveils its first carbon-neutrally fired toilet – manufactured at the new ceramic facility in Canada and showcased for on the international design stage in New York.
08/15/2024
Duravit Canada's CEO has arrived
Christian Gilles, previously head of production at the Duravit plants in Hornberg and Bischwiller, is taking over the management of the new sustainable production facility in Canada.
06/21/2024
It's taking shape!
The new production facility in Matane, Quebec, is taking shape. One year after the groundbreaking ceremony, the outlines of the 380,000-square-foot building are emerging. The start of production is getting closer and closer. Duravit AG is currently planning to start operations at the sustainable ceramics plant at the end of 2025.
07/17/2023
Groundbreaking in Matane
Duravit AG is taking a giant step towards a sustainable future: the world's first sustainable ceramics production facility, which is 99.6 percent powered by hydroelectricity, is being built at the Matane site in the Canadian province of Québec.
This is how we can reach
Sustainability
At its ceramics plant in Matane, Duravit uses the world's first electric kiln powered by hydroelectricity. The renewable electricity comes from the hydroelectric power plants of the Canadian energy supplier Hydro-Québec. In addition, all raw materials are sourced locally in Canada and the US, which means short transport distances and more sustainable logistics. The electric kiln and shorter transport routes can save up to 9,000 tons of CO₂ per year.
Sustainable innovations for our
Economy
Duravit is investing heavily in sustainable innovation: in this new production facility, everything is highly automated and follows the principles of Industry 4.0. The plant also plays a crucial role in the company's "local for local" strategy, as the ceramic parts produced here are intended for the North American market. Local logistics reduce CO₂ emissions by a total of 1,500 tons per year compared to importing the goods from Europe.
We take over
Social responsibility
With the construction of this ceramics plant, Duravit is creating 240 jobs for qualified specialists and, as a customer, is ensuring an economic upturn for various suppliers in the region.
"We are very proud to be a pioneer in the sustainable sanitation industry and to provide answers to the challenges of climate change. In doing so, we are setting standards for innovative solutions in an industry characterized by high energy consumption. At the same time, the new plant is a milestone on our path to climate neutrality by 2045," says Stephan Tahy, CEO of Duravit.
FAQ
What are the advantages of the new production facility in Canada?
The new location in Matane fits seamlessly into Duravit's local-for-local strategy. The location directly on the St. Lawrence River facilitates logistics and the transport of goods. This enables us to significantly reduce logistics costs and save additional energy from fossil sources. Compared to importing our products from Europe, we therefore expect a reduction of our CO2 emissions in the North American market of 1,500 tons per year.
When did the groundbreaking ceremony take place and when will production start?
We broke ground in July 2023 and started production at the end of 2025. We expect to reach full production capacity in 2027.
What characterizes the new ceramic roller kiln? Can you explain the production method – electric kilns that run on green electricity – in more detail?
The innovative centerpiece of the durable production facility in Matane is the electric ceramic roller kiln. It enables a climate-neutral firing process. It is operated exclusively with electricity generated from renewable sources in the hydroelectric power plants of the Canadian energy supplier Hydro-Québec.
In the future, up to 600 ceramic toilets per day can be fired at a temperature of approx. 1260 °C over a length of approx. 100 meters. The entire firing process takes about 16 hours. The circulating air is recovered and used to heat drying chambers and the foundry.
The technology of the first electric roller kiln for the ceramics industry comes from the world's leading industrial furnace manufacturer Riedhammer in Nürnberg, a subsidiary of the multinational SACMI Group headquartered in Imola, Italy.
Duravit has set itself the goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2045. How is the Matane site contributing to this?
The new site is equipped with the world's first electric ceramic roller kiln. Instead of using natural gas, as is common in the energy-intensive ceramic production, the innovative production line works exclusively with sustainably generated electricity from hydropower. This, combined with reduced transport efforts, results in CO₂ savings of up to 9,000 tons per year.
Dream bathroom, dream job, dream career
At Duravit, you will find the space for your personal upgrade.