One year in Uttendorf: 7,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide saved thanks to Wienerberger's ‘greenest’ brick production
21.01.2026
After a year of sustainable brick production, the Wienerberger plant in Uttendorf takes stock: the use of the world's largest industrial electric kiln improves CO2 emissions in the production of backing bricks by 75 per cent. This corresponds to a saving of up to 7,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year. In addition, energy consumption at the site is reduced by a third.
A year ago, Wienerberger commissioned Europe's most modern and energy-efficient brick production facility at its Uttendorf plant in Upper Austria, setting new standards in CO₂ reduction and sustainability. Replacing the gas kiln with the first industrial electric kiln for backing bricks improved the CO₂ balance in production by 75 per cent. This corresponds to a saving of up to 7,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide per year – comparable to driving around the world almost 600 times in a car. In addition, energy consumption is reduced by a third. This is based on a combination of an electrified firing process, heat pumps, optimised drying and 100 per cent electricity from renewable energies. In future, energy consumption is expected to be less than 200 kilowatt hours per tonne of bricks.
Johann Marchner, Country Managing Director of Wienerberger Austria and Pipelife Austria: "With the commissioning of the electric kiln in Uttendorf, we have done some real pioneering work in the industry. This demonstrates in an unprecedented way that backing bricks can be fired on an industrial scale using only electricity, with significantly reduced emissions and maximum efficiency. Projects like this underpin our commitment to taking decisive action on climate protection and further strengthening Austria's role as a future-oriented production location."
Porotherm Plan E: the sustainable future in construction
As part of the modernisation of the brick kiln, Wienerberger has developed a particularly sustainable brick. Since the end of 2024, Porotherm 25-38 Plan E has been produced at the site using fully electric and CO₂-reduced processes, thus forming the basis for the sustainable production of backing bricks in the long term.
The robust flat brick is particularly suitable for exterior walls with additional insulation and for load-bearing interior walls. The first projects using Plan E bricks are already under construction, including a nursery school in the Weinzierl district of Krems and a residential project with seven state-of-the-art semi-detached houses and a detached house in the Mattersburg district of Burgenland. ‘From next year, the range will be expanded to include further brick models. This means that in future, the entire building envelope – both exterior and interior walls – can be constructed using the sustainable Plan E brick,’ adds Marchner.
"Our construction projects are always designed with ecological impact in mind. Through thoughtful planning and material-conscious execution, we actively promote closed recycling loops. That is why we value sustainable production in our building materials. In Wienerberger, we have a strong partner at our side who is also committed to this approach and is driving forward long-term measures to reduce CO2 emissions in the industry," says Hans Peter Schöll, managing director of Casa Immobilien and Schöll Bau, the developer of the project in Burgenland.
Uttendorf: a showcase for sustainability
The Uttendorf plant in Upper Austria has been owned by Wienerberger since 1987 and is regarded as a global demonstration site where the brick manufacturer tests groundbreaking technologies in live operation. In 2019, an industrial high-temperature heat pump was successfully used here for drying processes for the first time.
In spring 2022, as part of the NEFI project ‘GreenBricks’ – which is funded by the Climate and Energy Fund as part of the FTI initiative ‘Vorzeigeregion Energie’ (Energy Model Region) – the gas kiln was gradually replaced by the first industrial electric kiln in cooperation with the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology. In addition, a new hall for sawdust processing was built and three modern heat pumps were installed. The kiln cars were replaced by state-of-the-art AGVs (Automatic Guided Vehicles), which transport the almost climate-neutral wall bricks. The entire electrical infrastructure and large parts of the clay processing system were also comprehensively modernised.
After a two-month trial run, the plant went into regular operation in the spring. Production capacity is 270 tonnes of bricks per day. This corresponds to an annual volume of approximately 100,000 tonnes – comparable to around 2,600 single-family homes. Plant manager Gerhard Pichler and his 14-strong team are responsible for ensuring that everything runs smoothly.
