AMF Bakery Systems, Grupo Bimbo successfully test hydrogen-fired bread baking
The milestone marks a significant step forward in decarbonizing industrial bread production.
PORTUGAL – AMF Bakery Systems and global baking giant Grupo Bimbo have announced the successful industrial-scale testing of a commercial bread oven retrofitted to run on 100% hydrogen fuel.
The proof-of-concept trial, conducted at a Bimbo production facility in Portugal, demonstrates the viability of utilizing clean-burning hydrogen (H2) gas as a direct replacement for natural gas in high-volume industrial baking applications.
The two-week pilot program focused on a commercial tray tunnel oven originally installed in 1998. Driven by engineers from AMF Den Boer, the Netherlands-based thermal brand of AMF Bakery Systems, in close collaboration with Grupo Bimbo Corporate, Bimbo Portugal, and Kiwa Technology, the project involved a rapid conversion process.
The testing was carried out at Bimbo Portugal’s production site in October 2025, where an existing tray oven installed in 1998 was retrofitted with hydrogen technology.
Baking Zone 2, originally equipped with conventional Direct Gas Fired (DGF) natural gas burners, was retrofitted with twelve Direct Hydrogen Fired (DHF) burners and operated successfully for a continuous two-week test period.
The test consisted of temporarily replacing 12 natural gas burners and controls with 12 hydrogen burners, each rated at 16kW, delivering a total maximum output of 192kW.
After proving the concept and completing testing, the DHF burners were installed, and the baking zone was declared operational and capable of producing bread using 100% hydrogen heat in the baking tunnel.
Throughout the two-week trial period, product quality was continuously monitored. In parallel, the hydrogen system was closely supervised, including the temporary external gas supply to the bakery and all associated in-house gas safety measures.
Testing showed that the oven’s performance is comparable to that of conventional ovens in terms of product quality, sensory characteristics, and safety. The retrofit was completed in just two days, underscoring the practicality of converting existing infrastructure without the need for entirely new equipment installations.
The final results confirmed the technical viability of hydrogen-fired baking for industrial tin and hearth bread production, with the potential for near-zero carbon emissions when hydrogen is produced from renewable energy sources.
The validation of integrated safety systems, including strict leak detection, purging protocols, automated ventilation, and emergency shutdowns, under live manufacturing conditions marks a crucial step forward.
This collaboration between AMF Den Boer, Grupo Bimbo, and Kiwa Technology positions the baking industry closer to achieving climate-neutral production at scale, offering a viable retrofit pathway for legacy ovens still in active commercial use worldwide.
Bread baking with Direct Hydrogen-Fired (DHF) burners demonstrates performance comparable to conventional baking methods in terms of product quality, safety, and sensory characteristics.
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