The glass industry, integral to construction, automotive, packaging, and consumer goods, has long operated at the cost of significant carbon emissions. With furnaces that require uninterrupted high-temperature operations (typically above 1,600 °C), glass production has traditionally relied on fossil fuels such as natural gas or heavy fuel oil.
The result? Millions of tonnes of CO₂ are released annually. However, with growing pressure to meet net-zero targets, green hydrogen is emerging as a viable, scalable solution to decarbonise this essential industry.
The Carbon Challenge in Glass Manufacturing
The primary sources of these emissions are twofold: the combustion of fossil fuels, predominantly natural gas, for the energy-intensive melting process, and the chemical reactions involving raw materials such as soda ash and limestone.
In container glass production, approximately 80% of direct greenhouse gas emissions originate from the combustion of natural gas. Natural gas also accounts for about 80% of the total energy input in the glass industry, and it remains the predominant energy source for flat glass manufacturing. Additionally, melting raw materials like soda ash and limestone releases significant amounts of CO2.
The chemical reactions in converting these raw materials into glass also contribute to these emissions, with the decomposition of raw materials during the melting process further adding to the CO2 output.
While transitioning to cleaner fuels offers a direct route to reducing combustion-related emissions, addressing the process emissions inherent in the raw materials presents a more intricate challenge.
The decomposition of carbonates during the glassmaking process means that even with the adoption of clean energy sources for heating, a substantial portion of emissions will persist unless alternative raw materials or carbon capture technologies are implemented.
Why Green Hydrogen Is a Game-Changer
Green hydrogen is produced via electrolysis powered by renewable electricity—solar, wind, or hydropower—meaning it carries virtually no carbon burden. Unlike grey or blue hydrogen, which involves fossil fuels and carbon capture, green hydrogen offers a clean, circular, and renewable energy vector. When combusted, it produces only water vapour, eliminating direct CO₂ emissions at the point of use.
Its relevance to the glass industry lies in its flame characteristics. Hydrogen combustion can match the high flame temperatures required for glass melting, making it a suitable direct replacement for fossil fuels in furnaces. Moreover, hydrogen supports gradual integration into existing operations, with blends as low as 10–20% already delivering measurable CO₂ reductions, while complete transition to 100% hydrogen is successfully trialled.
Environmental Benefits: Beyond Carbon Reduction
Adopting green hydrogen in glass production offers multi-dimensional environmental advantages:
- Zero combustion CO₂ emissions: Eliminating CO₂ from energy input.
- Reduction in NOx with modern burners: When used in oxy-fuel systems, hydrogen can achieve emissions similar to or lower than natural gas.
- No SOx or particulates: Unlike fossil fuels, hydrogen combustion is free from sulphur and carbon particles, improving local air quality.
- Optimised synergy with cullet use: High-efficiency furnaces fuelled by hydrogen can better accommodate increased recycled glass content, compounding energy and emissions savings.
In trials, switching even part of the fuel input to hydrogen has reduced carbon emissions from furnaces by 30–70%, depending on the hydrogen blend and furnace design. This represents a seismic shift in emissions intensity for an industry often labelled "hard to abate".
Global Momentum: The Hydrogen Movement in Glass
Governments and industry leaders worldwide are taking action.
In Europe, the H2GLASS initiative—backed by the EU’s Horizon Europe programme—has united over 20 partners, including glass manufacturers, technology providers, and research institutions. Their goal? To design, test, and validate 100% hydrogen-fuelled furnaces and develop digital control systems that optimise performance and safety. [1]
In the UK, Pilkington UK (part of the NSG Group) successfully ran its float glass furnace on a hydrogen-natural gas blend as part of the HyNet North West industrial decarbonisation cluster. With a long-term agreement with Vertex Hydrogen to supply low-carbon hydrogen, Pilkington aims to scale up hydrogen usage as part of its 2050 net-zero roadmap.[2]
Saint-Gobain conducted a trial in Germany using a 60% hydrogen fuel mix at its flat glass plant in Herzogenrath. The pilot showed that high hydrogen shares can power furnaces without compromising quality and with potential CO₂ reductions of up to 70%. [7]
Meanwhile, Japan’s AGC Inc. completed hydrogen combustion trials using specially designed oxy-fuel burners. Their results confirmed technical feasibility and no increase in NOx emissions—a key regulatory and environmental concern. [10]
These pioneering efforts send a clear message: the hydrogen transition in the glass sector is not a matter of “if,” but “when and how.”
Hydrogenera & Weber Bulgaria: A Live Case Study
A standout example of industrial hydrogen deployment comes from Weber Bulgaria, part of the global Saint-Gobain group. In partnership with Hydrogenera, Weber has successfully integrated a modular green hydrogen system into its sand drying operation, which is part of its wider building materials production process.
In this project, Hydrogenera:
- Designed and installed a 60 kW alkaline electrolyser, capable of on-site hydrogen generation powered by renewable electricity.
- Integrated the hydrogen stream into a 2 MW natural gas burner, allowing for a 10% hydrogen blend.
- Conducted extensive safety testing and certification with equipment supplier Bokma, ensuring full operational compliance.
- Launched a parallel test programme to assess the impact of the oxygen (a by-product of electrolysis) on combustion efficiency and emissions.
This system marks a significant step forward, demonstrating how even a partial hydrogen blend can lead to:
- Immediate emissions reductions.
- A scalable platform for future increases in hydrogen use.
- Greater energy efficiency through oxygen-enhanced combustion.
- Practical validation of hydrogen technology in a real industrial setting.
Crucially, this deployment showcases a model that can be replicated across other mid-sized manufacturing sites, including glass, ceramics, and metallurgy, offering a lower-risk entry point to hydrogen adoption.
Expanding the Case: Other Success Stories
Saint-Gobain (Germany)
Using liquid hydrogen, Saint-Gobain’s Herzogenrath plant replaced 60% of its fuel with hydrogen for a five-day trial. The results demonstrated stable operation, no loss of product quality, and significant emissions reductions. The trial paved the way for hydrogen-ready furnace retrofits across its European operations.
Asahi India Glass (AIS)
AIS’s Rajasthan facility launched India’s first green hydrogen glass plant, featuring an on-site electrolyser powered by solar energy. It is expected to reduce CO₂ emissions by over 1,200 tonnes per year, and plans are in place to scale capacity further. [3]
Ardagh Group & Absolut Vodka (Sweden)
In a unique partnership with Absolut, Ardagh integrated a 20% hydrogen blend into its glass bottle furnace. The switch cut Absolut’s bottles' carbon footprint by 20%, illustrating how consumer demand can accelerate sustainable innovation in supply chains.[11]
Industrial Process Adaptations
Green hydrogen combustion differs from natural gas in flame speed, moisture output, and radiant heat profile. To accommodate these changes, glassmakers are investing in:
- Hydrogen-specific burner technologies: Many rely on oxy-fuel systems to boost flame temperature and reduce NOx.
- Refractory upgrades: Hydrogen combustion creates a more humid environment, requiring materials resistant to thermal and chemical stress.
- Furnace control systems: Advanced sensors and digital platforms are needed to maintain process stability and optimise performance.
- Hybrid designs: Some furnaces combine hydrogen with electric boosting, balancing flexibility, efficiency, and carbon reduction.
Through these adaptations, manufacturers can retrofit existing furnaces rather than build new ones, significantly reducing capital cost and speeding up deployment timelines. [12-16]
Supply Chain Impacts: From Fuel to Finished Product
Green hydrogen affects more than just the furnace—it transforms the entire supply chain:
- Fuel infrastructure: On-site electrolysis or regional hydrogen hubs become integral parts of the industrial ecosystem.
- Scope 3 emissions: Brands using glass packaging increasingly account for embedded carbon. Hydrogen-fired glass can give manufacturers a competitive edge in low-carbon procurement.
- Product labelling: Emerging certifications for “green glass” or “low-carbon packaging” will enable better consumer communication and brand positioning.
- Logistics decarbonisation: Some manufacturers are exploring hydrogen-powered forklifts and trucks to align logistics with sustainability goals.
- Increased cullet use: With hydrogen reducing furnace emissions, companies are revisiting cullet-heavy batch recipes to reduce total process emissions further.
This systemic shift offers manufacturers both regulatory compliance and market advantage. In the coming years, access to decarbonised materials could become a prerequisite for doing business in low-carbon sectors.
Policy and Market Outlook
The growth of hydrogen in the glass sector is being propelled by policy support such as:
- The EU Hydrogen Strategy and Clean Hydrogen Partnership.
- Funding from the U.S. Department of Energy’s Clean Energy Demonstrations.
- National hydrogen missions in countries like India, Japan, and Germany.
Financial instruments like carbon pricing, industrial decarbonisation funds, and public-private partnerships also create the right economic environment for investment. As electrolyser costs fall and renewable electricity becomes more abundant, green hydrogen rapidly approaches cost-competitiveness with natural gas for high-heat industrial processes.
Hydrogenera: Powering the Future of Industrial Decarbonisation
As the Weber Bulgaria project shows, Hydrogenera’s modular hydrogen systems are not theoretical. They deliver real results today. Our team brings deep expertise in hydrogen engineering, integration, and project execution, helping manufacturers reduce emissions, improve efficiency, and meet ESG goals.
Whether you’re looking to pilot a small-scale system or integrate hydrogen into full-scale industrial operations, we provide:
- Customised system design
- Reliable electrolyser technology
- Safe and compliant installation
- Post-deployment optimisation and support
Join the industrial hydrogen transition today.
Visit https://hydrogenera.eu to learn how we can help you decarbonise with confidence.