Ardagh Glass Packaging-Europe (AGP-Europe), an integral part of Ardagh Group, recently hosted a delegation from the Japan Glass Bottle Association (JGBA) at two European production facilities. This visit aimed to showcase AGP-Europe’s pioneering decarbonisation technologies in the field of food and drink packaging.
During their visit to Limmared, Sweden, the JGBA delegation explored AGP-Europe’s state-of-the-art onsite hydrogen electrolyser. This innovative system utilizes renewable electricity to generate hydrogen continuously, which is then used in the glass melting furnace. This method demonstrates how hydrogen can be effectively combined with natural gas to create lower-carbon glass containers, a crucial advancement in sustainable packaging for the food and drink industry.
The tour then proceeded to Obernkirchen, Germany, where the delegation witnessed AGP-Europe’s groundbreaking NextGen Furnace. This first-of-its-kind commercial-scale hybrid furnace employs renewable electricity to power 42 electrodes for direct electrical melting. This approach significantly reduces CO₂ emissions while ensuring high-quality glass production, reinforcing the transition to sustainable packaging solutions.
These visits allowed the JGBA to gain invaluable insights into AGP-Europe’s hydrogen and hybrid furnace technologies, both of which are crucial for advancing the decarbonisation of glass manufacturing. The partnership highlighted the shared commitment of both organizations to sustainable innovation, energy efficiency, and the long-term benefits of lower-carbon glass packaging in the food and drink sector.
Joris Goossens, R&D Project Manager at AGP-Europe, stated: “We were delighted to host the Japan Glass Bottle Association and share our progress in building a more sustainable future for glass packaging. These visits are essential to accelerate change and drive innovation in our industry.”
Mr. Iwamoto of the JGBA remarked: “We were very impressed by Ardagh’s commitment to sustainable glass production. Seeing these innovations in Sweden and Germany provided us with valuable insights into how innovative technologies can help decarbonise our industry and will be extremely useful in supporting our own sustainability journey in Japan.”