O-I Glass has produced the first glass after a furnace investment in France.
It received the first glass from the hybrid furnace in Veauche, France on June 7.
The furnace is powered by new air-gas technology from supplier Fives.
The company had previously said the air-gas hybrid furnace for glass packaging applications is capable of replacing up to 70% of conventional fossil fuel with electricity.
O-I had previously announced the furnace investment, which will enable a substantial reduction in CO2 emissions, in 2024.
CO2 emissions at the site will be reduced by 43% in comparison to conventional technology with an average electricity usage of 50%.
This reduction in emissions is aided by the installation of a new annealing arch, which allows the annealing of newly formed bottles to strengthen their resistance.
During construction, the team laid foundations of more than 200 cubic meters of concrete.
700 tonnes of metal framework were assembled over several weeks, and a smoke heat recovery system was installed to heat the combustion air.
The Heat Recovery Area (HRA) is designed to recover heat from waste gas.
It enables preheating of batch blanket in a lowered superstructure section and reduce fume temperature without the needs for additional equipment, such as regenerators.
It helps the company meet its sustainability goals while preserving the flexibility of the furnace.
With two furnaces and seven lines, Veauche produces approximately 300 million bottles each year.
It is a role model for a local circular economy leveraging up to 87% of cullet sourced from a processing plant 20 km away.
