Steklarna Hrastnik has secured a €2.2 million grant from the EU’s Innovation Fund for its hybrid glass furnace project in Slovenia.

The hybrid regenerative glass furnace (BEAR) project will see Steklarna Hrastnik create a hybrid, end-fired regenerative furnace.

The furnace will source electricity for 40% of its heat supply, surpassing the maximum 10% limit in a traditional furnace.

The electricity will be produced from renewable sources and marks a substantial step forward in sustainable glass manufacturing.

The project was recently awarded a grant of €2,238,000 from the EU’s Innovation Fund.

The furnace started its baseline operations in January 2024, at the manufacturer's 'Special' production site in Hrastnik, Slovenia.

It is already producing up to 170 tonnes of container glass per day and sourcing 15% of its heat supply from electricity.

The hybrid furnace is expected to be fully operational by early 2025, reaching its targeted electric share of 40%.

This will allow the production site to reduce its natural gas consumption by over 50% and avoid almost 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide (CO2) equivalent over the first ten years of operations.

This reduction is enough to offset the total yearly greenhouse gas emissions of 20,000 households in the Zasavje region.

With the BEAR project, the manufacturer aims to replace its existing regenerative furnace for extra-white flint glass production at its Hrastnik site.

The site is based in Zasavje, a transitioning coal region in Slovenia with a high unemployment rate.

Steklarna Hrastnik accounts for approximately 5% of jobs in the region and represents over 10% of the region’s gross domestic product (GDP).

By investing in sustainable production technologies, the BEAR project is expected to have a positive impact on the local economy.

Not only maintaining current jobs, but also creating new ones.