Ardagh Glass Packaging-Europe (AGP-Europe), an operating business of Ardagh Group, has partnered with RheinEnergie AG – next energy solutions, to build a new electricity-powered heat supply system at its Obernkirchen facility in Germany. The project is designed to reduce carbon emissions and increase energy efficiency across the facility.
The system will comprise two ammonia heat pumps alongside a new hot water and waste heat recovery system, delivering a combined thermal output of circa 3.5 megawatts. Construction and installation are already underway, and it is expected to be fully operational in November 2026.
The investment marks a significant transition for the site, which was previously heated using steam generated from hot flue gases produced by a conventional furnace. Following the installation of Ardagh’s flagship NextGen Furnace, the former gas-based heat supply will be replaced with the electricity-powered heat pump solution.
Waste heat recovery is optimised by capturing the warm process air from four annealing lehrs, which will be redirected towards the packing area.
While the move to an electric heat pump system is more complex than conventional approaches, it supports AGP-Europe’s long-term sustainability goals.
Andreas Kehne, Plant Director at AGP-Obernkirchen, said: “Choosing the heat pump system aligns with our ambition to make the Obernkirchen facility as sustainable as possible. Transitioning from gas to electricity is not the simplest route, but it is the right one. Together with our NextGen Furnace, which uses renewable electricity to reduce emissions in every glass bottle, this is a key step in reducing the site’s carbon footprint.”
This initiative forms part of AGP-Europe’s commitment to decarbonise its manufacturing processes and accelerate the transition to more sustainable glass packaging production.