Portmeirion draws on Lucideon’s data science expertise to reduce energy use in kilns

World-renowned homeware brand Portmeirion has appointed Lucideon to develop a scientific approach to minimise energy usage, by reducing the amount of natural gas burned in their production process.

In a six-month programme, the loading of Portmeirion’s premium earthenware products into their biscuit kiln will be measured, analysed and ultimately computationally modelled to understand and optimise the firing process.

The project initially involves capturing data from the production line through a collection of sensors, including temperature monitoring and computer vision.

Lucideon will then use a data science approach to analyse the information gained and to optimise biscuit kiln performance to deliver significant cost and sustainability benefits.

Dominic Wadkin-Snaith,  Lucideon’s Data Science Business Development Manager, said: “This is an exciting project, which involves the latest measurement tools and data analytics to identify the best approach for Portmeirion to minimise energy consumption in the firing of its products.

“By loading kilns more effectively, we can expect savings of up to four per cent to be achieved, a considerable saving for an energy intensive sector such as ceramics.

“The process starts with the collection of data via sensors placed strategically on site.

“After an evaluation of this information, we will then introduce modifications and fine tune the kiln fill activity to get the best results.

“From there, a digital model is produced, which captures the optimum temperature distribution pattern for Portmeirion’s firing procedures, and provides a blueprint for a greener, less energy-intensive process.”

This project to optimise kiln fill efficiency is part of a raft of initiatives from Portmeirion to deliver energy savings under its COMMIT 2040 strategy, which takes a proactive approach to achieve net zero emissions across Scope 1 and 2 by 2040.