Following the successful implementation of an electrified furnace in the Czech Republic, Saint-Gobain and AGC Group are again collaborating to help further reduce carbon emissions in glass manufacturing.
The companies announced a new program that will deploy a large-scale hybrid, highly electrified furnace for flat glass production, designed to reduce direct carbon emissions. The new furnace will be installed at Saint-Gobain’s flat glass plant in Avilés, Spain, replacing the existing furnace. Construction is expected to start in January 2027, with production resuming in the second half of 2027.
“… The development of a hybrid design melter on AGC’s mid-size patterned glass production line in Barevka, Czech Republic, was another important milestone in our Net Zero Trajectory to become carbon neutral as a company by 2050,” says Davide Cappellino, AGC’s president of architectural glass in Europe and the Americas. “This new step to deploy a large-scale hybrid furnace for flat glass production, which will be done jointly with Saint-Gobain at its flat glass plant in Avilés, Spain, represents a significant leap in the electrification of flat glass melting.”
The project, codenamed FurHy, centers on a hybrid furnace that officials say is expected to reach 75% of electrification of the melting process. It will be powered by low-carbon electricity. Officials note it will also be the largest electric furnace ever built for flat glass.
According to officials, the project is expected to:
- Avoid approximately 80 kiloton carbon dioxide equivalent emissions per year, corresponding to around 50% emissions reduction compared to a conventional gas furnace;
- Save approximately 265 gigawatt‑hour of natural gas per year, the equivalent of a 80% reduction in comparison with a standard gas furnace;
- Enable the production of lower-carbon flat glass reaching the best existing international standards; and
- Support the growing need for more sustainable solutions for the residential, non-residential and infrastructure markets in the region.
The European Union Emissions Trading System Innovation Fund funds the project.
Electric “Carbon Free” … and how is the Electric made: Coal, Natural Gas. ?
Don’t be fooled. The “Carbon Free” is a myth.
In addition…. how is CO2 considered a pollutant. The world forest and plants need more CO2
Have you ever measured CO2 levels in a corn field? The level is too low and hinders growth of the plant.
Focus instead on Waste and REAL pollution… not on CO2