Glass manufacturers call for help to attain carbon neutrality

n a report accompanied by an online map with over 90 industry case studies published on October 24, the European container glass industry (FEVE) has presented measures taken by its 162 glass manufacturing plants to decarbonise production and ask for support. “While the industry is fully committed to this transformation, it cannot achieve its goal to become carbon neutral by 2050 alone”, it explains.

80% of the glass container industry’s direct carbon emissions result from the combustion of natural gas, prompting the FEVE to call for “fast access to low-carbon energy infrastructures”.

The FEVE is also asking for financial support from the European Union to replace its old gas furnaces with electric or hydrogen furnaces or ones that use other low-carbon technologies. Currently, the glass container industry invests over €600 million annually in decarbonisation and estimates that €20 billion in additional capital expenditure will be required by 2050 to upgrade production technologies and decarbonise operations. In France, the FEVE estimates that electrification will increase production costs for glass manufacturers by 40% compared with 2015.