The ZeroCO2-Glass project has produced its first glass from a furnace in Aachen, Germany.

The ZeroCO2-Glas project is a consortium involving experts from the industry, including furnace technology specialist Horn Glass Industries, glass manufacturer Wiegand-Glas, RWTH Aachen University as well as the International Partners in Glass Research (IPGR).*

The goal of the project is to develop a glass melting process with a new type of melting tank for container glass production, that would be CO2-neutral and provide energy savings.

The project is funded by the BMWK with a maximum of €8.38 million with a total project volume of approximately €14.94 million.

The furnace was set up over a three year period in Aachen, Germany.

It was designed as a hybrid furnace with hydrogen-oxy and natural gas-oxy firing, as well as electrical heating.

The furnace celebrated its first glass on October 28, 2024. The experience gained from the test facility will make glass production more sustainable and further reduce the CO2 footprint.

As technology partner, Horn supplied the equipment for the 2.4 tpd hybrid furnace, the combustion and the process control system, as well as the complete construction work for refractory material and steel.

The forehearths can also be operated with either natural gas/O2 or H2/O2.

Together with the corresponding peripherals, the furnace represents a fully-fledged container glass site.

The main feature of the ZeroCO2-Glas project is that CO2 is avoided both on the energy input side and on the raw material side.

In comparison, other projects aim exclusively at CO2 avoidance on the energy input side.

The experience gained from the test facility will make glass production even more sustainable and further reduce the CO2 footprint.

Horn said: “Our special thanks goes to all the project partners involved, for the trust they have placed in us and for working with us as partners.

“We look forward to further exciting and promising projects in and for the glass industry.”

The project started on 1 January 2022 and will continue until 31 December 2026.

*IPGR members are as follows: BA Glass, Bucher Emhart Glass, Fevisa, Gallo Glass Company, Nihon Yamamura Glass, Orora, Sisecam Glass Packaging, Stoelzle Glass Group, Vetropack Group, Vidrala Group and Wiegand-Glas.