Austrian building materials group wienerberger UK and Ireland has begun construction on the world's first fully electric tunnel kiln for the manufacture of clay roof tiles at its Broomfleet roof tile manufacturing site in East Yorkshire. Roofing Today reported on the development, confirmed on 20 May 2026.

The electric kiln, known as Factory e, will replace conventional natural gas-powered firing processes with a 100% electric, renewable-powered system. Once operational, it is expected to reduce Scope 1 carbon emissions from the production line by 75%, saving 4,700 tonnes of CO₂ per year, while maintaining product quality and performance.

The project represents a £37 million (€43m) investment in UK manufacturing, with £4.3 million (€5m) funded through the UK Government's Industrial Energy Transformation Fund, which supports industrial fuel-switching and energy efficiency projects to help decarbonise hard-to-abate sectors.

Factory e will replace a disused factory line at Broomfleet, with construction now underway on site, the former factory building cleared, and civil engineering works in progress. Key equipment has begun arriving on site in preparation for installation. The project is planned for completion in 2027.

Mark Brook, operations director at wienerberger UK and Ireland, said: "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."

Access the full report on wienerberger's Broomfleet electric kiln project here.