Italian glass manufacturer Bormioli Luigi is set to put a hybrid furnace into operation in January.
The oven at its Abbiategrasso site near Milan in Italy will be powered by a combination of methane and electricity.
The installation has been funded by the European Commission's Vitrum project within the framework of its Innovation Fund and is the only Italian project to benefit from such support.
The furnace’s design and energy efficiency, associated with the use of PCR glass, is anticipated to reduce carbon emissions.
The hybridisation process alone generates savings of 80%. The use of recycled glass, associated with an optimised piping system, contribute the remainder.
The new process allows for savings of approximately 30% in gas consumption and 14% in CO2 emissions compared with a traditional gas furnace.
Bormioli Luigi anticipates a reduction of the equivalent of 25,500 tons of CO2 during the furnace’s first 10 years in service.
This technological revolution also benefits from the digitalisation of its control systems and process optimisation assisted by artificial intelligence.
Approximately 60% of the group’s production in its Beauty division already derives from electric fusion.
