O-I Glass plans to transform its Alloa, UK manufacturing plant with a $150 million investment in sustainable production technology.
Over the next two years, the company plans to invest in a series of upgrades to the site.
The transformation includes a rebuild of one of its existing furnaces, featuring improved sustainability performance through several planned measures including gas-oxy combustion and increased levels of renewable energy and recycled glass.
In addition, O-I has begun to build an a new furnace featuring the same technological advancements.
This furnace will increase long-term flexibility to serve the company’s customers, support their growth plans in the spirits segment and strengthen their own sustainability efforts.
The company expects both furnaces to come online in 2025 when these measures will reduce the plant’s emissions and provide another building block of the company’s strategy to reduce CO2 emissions 25% by 2030.
To fuel the gas-oxy furnaces, O-I is partnering with a supplier to establish an oxygen farm adjacent to the Alloa plant.
Bringing more investment into the area, this facility will separate air into oxygen, nitrogen and argon, and is set to also serve the needs of hospitals and other local manufacturing companies.
“With glass production starting in the year 1750, the Alloa plant has the longest heritage of all O-I sites,” said Jim Rankine, O-I’s UK Managing Director.
“We are proud that Alloa is also a prime example of transforming heritage into 21st century facility and we are looking forward to continue serving our customers with sustainable glass.”
