Path-dependency and path-making

in the energy system

in the Spanish Tile Sector

Daniel Gabaldón-Estevan1, Eliseo Monfort-Gimeno2, Ana Mezquita-Martí2 and Eva Vaquer-Cañete2

1-Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology, University of Valencia (ES)2-Instituto de Tecnología Cerámica, Universitat Jaume I de Castelló (ES)

2

Introduction

Theoretical framework

Previous research findings

Results

• Energy consumption from the origins to the present:

the run towards capacity and efficiency

• Energy consumption the present situation:

the environmental turn in a moment of crisis

• Energy consumption from the present on:

the challenge

Discussion

Index

3

There is a debate on the sustainability of the actual production model of ‘developed countries’ within globalisation due to:

- An increased demand of resources

- Limited capacity of the environment to assimilate human activity

- Increase public awareness and demands for the improvement of environment quality

How is the interlink between environmental constrains and the evolution of the energy

system of a particular industry?

Introduction

4

[…] “all important economic, social, political, organizational, institutional and other factors that influence the development, diffusion and use of innovations” (Edquist, 2004, pp. 182)

Sectoral systemof innovation

Technological systems

(Breschi and Malerba, 1997; Malerba, 2002)

(Carlsson and Stankiewitz, 1995; Huges, 1984; Callon, 1992)

Knowledge Heterogeneity Institutions Learning Interrelations

National systemof innovation

Regional systemof innovation

(Freeman, 1987; Lundvall, 1988, 1992; Nelson, 1993)

(Cooke, 1993 and 2001; Saxenian, 1985; Jaffe et al., 1993)

Evolutionist perspective

(Nelson and Winter, 1977 and 1982)

Functional approach

(Bergek et al., 2008; Jacobsson and Johnson, 2000;

Edquist, 1997)

DistritualInnovation system

(Gabaldon-Estevan et al., 2012)

Theoretical framework

5

Previous research findings: Locating the industry (I)

Onda

L’Alcora

Castellón

Sant Joan de Moró

6

Previous research findings: Locating the industry (II)

Onda

L’Alcora

Vila-real

Castellón Almazora

Sant Joan de Moró

7

Previous research findings: The ceramic tile production process

8

Previous research findings: The ceramic tile value chain

Format design

Texture design

Printing design

Catalogue design

Clay, silica, etc. extraction

Storage and logistics

Clay milling

Firing (2nd firing if double firing*)

Press

Drying (& 1st firing if double firing*)

Glazing and decoration

Sorting and packing

Construction firms

End user (consumer & institutions)

Tile installersArchitects and interior designers

Department Stores Retailers

Frit, glaze and ceramic colour production

Firing

Grinding and spray draying

Pressing

Drying

Glazing

Sorting

Maintenance

Frit and glaze preparation

Auxiliary machine managementEnvironmental management

9

Energy consumption from the origins to the present:

the run towards capacity and

efficiency

10

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

1969

1971

1973

1975

1977

1979

1981

1983

1985

1987

1989

1991

1993

1995

1997

1999

2001

2003

2005

2007

2009

2011

Year

Pro

duct

ion

(mill

ions

m2 )

The run towards capacity and efficiency:

Evolution of tile production 1969 to 2011

11

0

50

100

150

200

250

1969 1972 1975 1978 1981 1984 1987 1990 1993 1996 1999 2002 2005 2008 2011

Year

Pro

duct

ion

(m

iles

m2 )

Traditional double firingl Fast double firing Sigle firing

The run towards capacity and efficiency:

Firing 1969 to 2011

12

0%

25%

50%

75%

100%

1980 1995 2011

Years

% f

abric

atio

n

Wall tile Glaze stoneware Porcelain stoneware Extruded

The run towards capacity and efficiency:

Products 1980, 1995 and 2011

The run towards capacity and efficiency:

Energy consumption (GWh/year) 1985 to 2011

13

0

2000

4000

6000

8000

10000

12000

14000

16000

18000

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Year

En

erg

y co

nsu

mp

tion

(G

Wh

/ye

ar)

Natural Gas Other fuels Electricity

14

2011

1999

0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5

2.55

1.4

0.66

1.4

Taken from the network Self-produced

The run towards capacity and efficiency:

Demand and source of electric energy (KWh/m2) 1999 and 2011

The run towards capacity and efficiency:

Thermal specific consumption (KWh/m2) 1985 to 2011

15

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

55

1985

1986

1987

1988

1989

1990

1991

1992

1993

1994

1995

1996

1997

1998

1999

2000

2001

2002

2003

2004

2005

2006

2007

2008

2009

2010

2011

Year

The

rmal

spe

cific

con

sum

ptio

n (k

Wh/

m2 )

16

The run towards capacity and efficiency:

Thermal specific consumption (KWh/m2) by sub process 2007

Firing; 15,23; (55%)

Drying; 2,4; (9%)

Grinding and spray drying;

9,8;(36%)

17

The run towards capacity and efficiency:

CO2 emissions (kg CO2/t fired product) 2008

18

Energy consumption the present situation:

the environmental turn in a

moment of crisis

19

Energy consumption

ProductMaterials use

Pollution

Water consumption Waste Tile industry

MarketLegislation Legitimation

The environmental turn in a moment of crisis: Environmental issues on the development of the Spanish tile industry

20

Energy consumption

Materials use

Water consumption

- Tile industry is a big energy consumer (gas 91% & electric 9%).- Transition from oil to gas in the 80’s & new kilns reduced firing times from 35-45 hours to 35-70 minutes. - Atomisers have cogeneration (total efficiency to 85-90%) so further reductions in of carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2) emissions are more difficult.- Energy costs are about 15-25% of total costs.

- Availability of raw materials worldwide will worsen as production increases in developing countries.- Locally mining activity is being displaced to more remote areas because of the environmental impact. - Efforts are directed to reduce the thickness

- Water is intensively used in the ceramic tile manufacturing process.- Interest in reducing thickness (again). - Recycling of the refuse-mud (reduces the need for water and suppresses dumping).- Or to improve the dry route powder processing.

The environmental turn in a moment of crisis: Environmental issues … the inputs

21

Pollution

Product

Waste

- Tile industry has done progress in substituting most of the hazardous elements that characterised production in the early industrialisation years. However there are still areas for improvement: - Further reduce carbon dioxide (CO2).- Deal with elements as nitrogen dioxide (NO2), boron (B), sulphur (S), sulphur dioxide (SO2), or fluorine (F).- Dust pollution, suspended particles due to ransportation.

- Sustainable product due to its characteristics: resistant, durable, versatile, requires low maintenance and aseptic.- Green developments are thinner tiles, photovoltaic tiles- Active surface tiles combining tile with other elements

that provide an added benefit or fulfilling an new function.

- Ventilated facades, radiant ceramic tiles, raised floor systems for flat roofs, ceramic lattice, Pot-in-pot system, Giraplax, Trombeta for Trombe wall and dry collocation. - 17% of the waste is reincorporated to the process (some lines of product with about 80% recycled material).- Efforts are directed towards integrating ceramic leftovers in other products (like asphalt), towards recycling the waste produced by the ceramics industry to produce mortars, and towards new potential sources for the production of ceramic tiles from other industrial activities

The environmental turn in a moment of crisis: Environmental issues … the outputs

22

Legislation

Legitimation

Market

- EPBD seen as an opportunity to promote their recent developments into the building sector.- IPPC seen as beneficial because it promotes adoption of the best available technology in terms of energy use. - Kyoto and emissions rights: problem with twin industries & hope that it will change to best available technologies.- REACH regulation could force the disappearance of small and medium frits and glaze companies.

- Long tradition of good status and legitimation challenged since 1990s (increase in production; high geographical new environmental regulation and control; and other economic activities)- Will to keep legimated by moving to environmental production (Environmental Product Declaration or the EU-ECOLABEL) to improve public image and secure markets with high environmental consciousness.

- Delocalisation of production centres will continue - Providers experience problems in transposing their R&D effort to clients via the products they acquire. - A focus on technology and ecology would make Spanish industry very competitive.

The environmental turn in a moment of crisis: Environmental issues … the context

23

Energy consumption from the present on:

the challenge

24

The challenge:

A return to biomass?

What about this challenge?

25

The challenge:

A return to biomass? Strengths

• Strong and mature sector

• A functioning innovation system

• Connections between agriculture and industry already exists

26

The challenge:

A return to biomass? Weaknesses / Limitations

• Economic crisis

• Dumping due to globalisation

• The biomass would need to be complemented, resulting on an energy mix given the high demand of the industry

27

The challenge:

A return to biomass? Opportunities

• Proximity of an extended agricultural area.

• Forest leftovers are not for human consumption and are already burn in the fields (900 TMPM10/year)

• A biomass plant could also use other type of organic waste coming from forest, farms, slaughterhouses, municipal solid waste treatment plants, etc.

• Limiting the dependency on gas prices.

28

The challenge:

A return to biomass? Threats

• Implementation as installing a biomass plant at a tile fabric would be technically difficult

• Cost/benefit analysis (biomass plants are not cheap)

• Landowners’ resistance to change

29

Conclusions

Energy saving and climate protection are part of the tile industry agenda

Demanded developments are those that will significantly reduce the consumption of energy, materials and water

Environmental laws demands new technologies to be adopted

Introducing biomass in the energy mix of the tile industry would alleviate total gas emissions

The strategy of Introducing biomass would help to the strategy of producing ‘green’ tiles and to the emergence of synergies with the different actors involved

Thank you for your attention

Daniel Gabaldón-EstevanDepartment of Sociology and Social Anthropology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Valencia- Valencia (ES) - daniel.gabaldon@uv.es

Gabaldón-Estevan, D.; Monfort Gimeno, E. and Criado Herrero, E. The Green Factor in the European manufacturing industry. Case study of the Spanish Ceramic Tile Industry - Forthcoming -

Gabaldón-Estevan, D. and Hekkert M.P. How Does the Innovation System in the Spanish Tile Sector Function? Boletín de la Sociedad Española de Cerámica y Vidrio. - Forthcoming -

Gabaldón-Estevan, D.; Fernández de Lucio, I. and Molina Morales, FX. (2012) Distritual Innovation Systems. ARBOR-Ciencia pensamiento y cultura, 188 (753), pp. 63-73 Available at: http://arbor.revistas.csic.es/index.php/arbor/article/download/1448/1457

Gabaldón-Estevan, D. (2011) El sistema distritual de innovación cerámico de Castellón. Universitat de València. Servei de Publicacions. - Available at: http://rodrigo.uv.es/bitstream/handle/10550/23431/gabaldon.pdf?sequence=1

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Monfort, E.; Mezquita, A.; Granel, R.; Vaquer, E.; Escrig, A.; Miralles, A. and Zaera, V. (2010) Análisis de consumos energéticos y emisiones de dióxido de carbono en la fabricación de baldosas cerámicas. Boletín de la Sociedad Española de Cerámica y Vidrio 49 (4), 303-310 - Available at: http://boletines.secv.es/upload/20100901173134.201049303.pdf

Tortajada Esparza, E.; Gabaldón-Estevan, D. and Fernández de Lucio I. (2008) La evolución tecnológica del distrito cerámico de Castellón: la contribución de la industria de fritas, colores y esmaltes. Boletín de la Sociedad Española de Cerámica y Vidrio. 47 (2) pp. 57-80 - Available at: http://boletines.secv.es/upload/20080512114901.47[2]57-80.pdf

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