Israeli glass manufacturer Phoenicia will become carbon neutral by converting its CO2 emissions to soda ash, which will be reused in production.

Phoenicia signed an agreement with Airovation Technologies to install a unit that transforms CO2 emissions from its Yeruham plant into minerals that can be used in the glass production process.

Following over a decade of research at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Airovation has developed a method to capture sodium carbonate (soda ash) from CO2 at the point where the latter is emitted.

Soda ash is a key component of glassmaking. Extracting it from CO2 is done by a patented chemical invention that uses Superoxide Radical, one of the most powerful oxidisers in nature.

Under the new partnership, Airovation will run a two-phase scale-up process, eventually leading to the first fully commercial unit at the Yeruham plant.

This will reduce Phoenicia’s global warming carbon emissions, contribute to a circular economy, and reduce the company’s dependence on soda ash imports, an Airovation statement said.

Phoenicia CEO Michel Ben Simon said: “Phoenicia is thrilled to support an Israeli start-up and to co-operate in the execution of this pilot.

“The pilot represents a crucial step toward turning Phoenicia into the operator of the greenest factory in the State of Israel.

“It is also the country’s only factory capable of recycling broken glass bottles that are collected in accordance with the national deposit law, as well as a factory that works on natural gas, as we have built a natural gas power plant that should start working within two months.”

He continued that Phoenicia installed another facility ten years ago to prevent the emissions of particles and nitrogen oxides.