Hrastnik1860, a member of the Vaider Group, has successfully conducted industrial production of premium glass bottles using hydrogen as a prime energy source, marking the first commercial use of hydrogen in the glass packaging industry. With over 60% hydrogen content used for glass melting, Hrastnik1860 has reduced the direct carbon footprint of the melting process by more than 30% compared to standard procedures. Through this successful industrial application and production with hydrogen, the company has solidified its position as a leading European producer of high-quality glass packaging and a pioneer in green transformation within the glass industry.
This achievement represents a significant technological and innovative milestone, addressing past concerns that the production of such quality glass might not be feasible and economically viable with high proportions of hydrogen as an energy source. Hrastnik1860 has now dispelled these concerns through its own development, confirming that replacing natural gas, the traditional energy source in the production process, is possible and entirely within existing quality requirements.
"Tilting the hydrogen content in the mixture with natural gas beyond 50% significantly affects the combustion characteristics of the mixture. However, we have successfully used hydrogen on individual burners up to 100%, with an average usage of 62% for melting," explained Tilen Sever, Director of Development, Technology, and Innovation. "The combustion efficiency when using hydrogen was similar to that of natural gas. Crucially, hydrogen had no significant impact on the clarification and discoloration of the glass, allowing us to maintain product quality within existing technological limits," he added.
Matevž Fazarinc, Executive Director of Steklarna Hrastnik, adds that "reducing the carbon footprint has been one of our central strategic goals for a long time. Prior to the use of hydrogen, other steps were taken, such as reducing the proportion of natural gas consumption in favour of electricity produced from renewable sources (photovoltaics), including a significant portion from our own production. Now, we are adding hydrogen to demonstrate that we can truly introduce alternatives in production processes to reduce the use of fossil fuels."
Steklarna Hrastnik has long observed increased interest from end consumers in sustainable products, especially those effectively complementing the exceptional quality and aesthetic appearance of glass bottles. This trend is also recognized by strategic partners of Steklarna Hrastnik and the owners of the most prestigious brands, confirming that the ability to continuously innovate towards decarbonizing production will become a key competitive advantage in the glass industry.
Therefore, Peter Čas, CEO of Steklarna Hrastnik and Vaider Group, is confident that "we are absolutely on the right path, rightfully among the leading producers of premium glass packaging, which is not only exceptionally high-quality and aesthetically refined but also the most sustainable. This market position is by no means given to us; we earned it through strategically planned and successfully executed transformation of the glassworks years ago, targeted and extensive investment cycles, hard team work, and continuous innovation. All of this has led to proudly presenting the best practices of sustainable production, pushing boundaries in the entire industry, and thereby setting new trends. These are excellent foundations for the continued successful development of the Vaider Group and Steklarna Hrastnik."
The company plans to follow the successful commercial production of glass packaging using hydrogen in 2024 with new production series for strategic partners. Initial estimates suggest that the share of low-carbon glass packaging produced with hydrogen and other sustainable technologies could reach up to 15% of Hrastnik1860's total production in the coming years.