O-I has started to produce glass from its Bowling Green, Kentucky greenfield manufacturing facility.
Glass began to flow at the facility in August, with full commissioning on track to be completed by the end of October.
The facility is ramping up its use of the company’s second generation MAGMA glass production technology.
Gordon Hardie, CEO of the world’s largest container glass manufacturing company, said MAGMA had the potential to rewrite the company’s business model.
He said: “MAGMA's core technology works, the first generation melter development is complete.
"We are ramping up production at our generation two greenfield Bowling Green which is designed to test all it's operating qualities at full industrial scale.
“MAGMA’s increased flexibility has the potential to rewrite our business model but it must also deliver meaningful economic profit in a reasonable time frame.
“It is a challenge I have set to the MAGMA and commercial teams."
He added the company intends to roll out its Ultra technology, which can reduce the weight of glass containers by up to 30% and can improve convenience, reduce logistic costs and greenhouse gas emissions.
He later told analysts that the core of Magma technology is a furnace that can be switched on and off, which gives the company flexibility and allows it to deliver variability at a reasonable cost.
“A traditional furnace needs long runs to be cost efficient but this gives us the capability to do premium, super premium, and ultra premium on short runs and still make an economic profit.”
