Duravit AG, a German design bathroom manufacturer, announced plans to build the “world’s first climate-neutral ceramic production facility” in the Canadian province of Québec. The company described the enterprise as a “quantum leap towards a sustainable future” in a press release.
The new plant designed by DAD Architecture/Design will make ceramic sanitary ware products including water closets and washbasins that use renewable energies. To make the wares, Duravit’s energy source will run on an electric roller kiln fueled by hydropower electricity. Duravit officials claim this strategy “will save around 11,000 tons of CO2 per year compared to a conventional ceramic factory.” The electric roller kiln was developed with SACMI, an Italian company.
“Canada will be the first country in the world to produce carbon-neutral ceramics! Thanks to our homegrown talent, our renewable energy, and our proximity to the market, German business Duravit has chosen Matane for its very first plant in North America,” said Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry of Canada François-Philippe Champagne, in the press release. “This investment not only aligns with our economic vision for a greener future but will also enable the creation of good jobs in the region, while also strengthening Canada’s position and reputation as a green supplier of choice.”
This will be Duravit AG’s first factory in North America, a strategy to connect the company’s products closer to Canadian and American consumers. “The Bas-Saint-Laurent region is a natural entry point into the market of the Americas,” added Minister of Natural Resources and Forests of Canada Maïté Blanchette Vézina. “With its deep water port, the city of Matane holds a strategic position, which gave it a competitive advantage in implementing this promising project for the future of the region, and all of Quebec.”
The government of Canada provided a repayable contribution of $19 million to help finance the project. At the same time, the Québec government issued a loan of $11 million to facilitate the plant’s construction.
Production at Duravit’s new location in Québec will commence in 2025.
