After the Steuler Group had purchased from Riedhammer a new high-temperature tunnel kiln for the production of ceramic materials for the refractory industry in Höhr-Grenzhausen in 2022, the next step followed on October 19, 2023.
The 80m long tunnel kiln, which will operate at firing temperatures between 1,430 and 1,650 °C, was ceremoniously ignited during a legendary ignition celebration with around 200 guests and employees. The construction time of the tunnel kiln was kept to a minimum thanks to the modular design with pre-lined modules, so that the construction activities had as little impact as possible on Steuler's internal plant processes. The kiln replaces three discontinuously operating shuttle kilns, with a significantly lower efficiency in terms of energy consumption than a continuously running tunnel kiln.
The new Riedhammer kiln thus directly contributes to reducing emissions from fossil fuels, because the specific gas consumption per ton is substantially reduced, especially in the production of high-grade products fired at temperatures of up to 1,650°C. At the same time, orders from the steel industry undergoing a green transformation can be processed in the future, including for the lining of direct reduction plants.