GW: What was the motivation for adding a second furnace at the glass container production facility in Schleusingen, Germany, earlier this year and how is the furnace performing?
The new glass plant in Schleusingen, Germany was always planned as a two-furnace operation. The now-closed former production facility was also a two-furnace operation. However, with the new environmental regulations and the increased capacity available, the best solution was to build a new factory only a few hundred metres away from the old one. The performance of the new furnace is excellent in all regards. The energy consumption is below three GJ per ton of molten glass, and the pack-to-melt efficiencies and container quality exceed our forecast.
Due to the increasing energy prices, we slightly postponed the furnace start-up and started production on 14 March 2022.
GW: What were the key elements of this phase of investment in Schleusingen and what new benefits are now enjoyed?
We invested in the latest technologies in all respects. For instance, the HORN furnace we installed is a highly efficient, end-port furnace with extremely low energy consumption. Moreover, all Emhart forming machines are servo electric AIS or NIS machines, and the inspection machines are the latest version of the TIAMA optical and rotating inspection machines. Furthermore, this project allowed us to maximise and leverage desired synergies in production and operations. For example, the batch house can now utilise its full capacity. In addition, the automated logistic infrastructure, which transports pallets to the warehouse, is also operating at full capacity. Even the footprint of the buildings was carefully planned to significantly shorten walking distances between workshops and production.
GW: How have customers reacted to the developments and resulting opportunities?
Our customers have shown a clear commitment to our process improvements by placing advanced orders with us. However, the increasing energy prices due to unrest on the continent is a challenge for both us and our customers. In fact, the war in Ukraine and sky-rocketing energy prices in Europe made it difficult to properly time the starting of the second furnace. The deciding factor became the clear commitment of our customers to partner with Wiegand-Glas through this difficult time.
GW: How did the Covid-19 pandemic affect the project?
The Covid-19 pandemic did not affect the construction of the second furnace. This does not mean that we did not have employees or contractors infected with Covid-19, but we had become better at handling our new reality. However, we did have a six-week delay commissioning the first furnace in 2020 in the new factory because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
GW: What is the next phase of the investment strategy for Schleusingen?
Due to the production capacity increase, it was necessary to build larger storage capacity for finished goods. The new storage warehouses opened a few weeks ago. Also, a state-of-the-art logistics centre was built to reduce truck-waiting times. Additionally, our higher demand for raw materials and cullet to support increased production caused us to increase storage capacity for cullet and other raw materials.
We are also investing in generating our own renewable energy by installing photovoltaics on our buildings. This will allow us to reduce our dependence on gas and oil and reduce CO2 emissions further.
The biggest project taking place in the next few years is the construction of a large fully-electric furnace. This ground-breaking project is still in the planning phase and is complicated for many reasons. For instance, the significant co-ordination required of the utilities, network, operators and local authorities may ultimately increase the planning timeline.
GW: What are the recent performance highlights and developments at the plants in Ernstthal, Großbreitenbach and Steinbach am Wald?
In our other plants in Steinbach am Wald, Ernstthal and Großbreitenbach we install upgrades with each furnace rebuilt. In all cases, we replace older technologies with the latest melting, forming and inspection technologies. Moreover, we examine whether we can replace fossil energy with renewable energy. Thus, Wiegand-Glas is constantly looking for ways to reduce the dependence on gas and oil. Together with our technology partners, we are also currently developing concepts for large-scale, fully electric and hybrid furnaces. The first hybrid furnace will go into operation at Steinbach am Wald in 2026/27.
GW: What is the status of the rehabilitation of your railway at Steinbach am Wald and what benefits will result?
The work on the rail-loading facility is ongoing and will be completed in the autumn. When finished, we will have new opportunities for outbound and inbound transport. Currently, we load pallets onto railway wagons at nearby rail trans-shipment points. The new railway line and terminal will allow us to load the wagons on site. In addition, transporting incoming goods such as cullet, sand, or soda by rail is being examined and will be realised if possible.
GW: In general, is future growth for Wiegand-Glas more likely to be achieved by greenfield or brownfield expansion?
This is a very difficult question that depends very much on the glass demand of our customers and the growth of the glass packaging market in Europe. Moreover, the answer is highly influenced by political decisions that purposefully or inadvertently affect us. Currently, a brown-field investment is the obvious solution for us.
GW: Across the plants, how is Wiegand-Glas investing in its workforce to maintain the necessary levels of expertise?
The development and training of our own staff is becoming increasingly important. Recruiting skilled labour is becoming more and more difficult. Therefore, it is a great concern for us to further develop and educate our staff internally and externally. Our aim is to further strengthen and expand our position as an attractive employer in the region.
GW: Having already installed state-of-the-art innovations from leading suppliers such as Bucher Emhart Glass, Dr. Günther Inspections, EME, Glass Service a.s., Heye, HORN Glass Industries, LWN Lufftechnik, MSK, Refmon, Siemens, SORG, Tiama, Tri-Mer, D. Widmann, XPAR Vision, Zecchetti (EMS Group) and ZIPPE, how important is adopting the latest manufacturing technology to achieving the company’s goals?
Without continuous investment in new technologies and automation, a manufacturer loses its competitive edge. Accordingly, we constantly optimise our production and cost efficiencies to remain competitive. Furthermore, with each investment we are committed to improving our ecological footprint, improving product quality and safety.
GW: What is the current status and future prospects for the Eco2Bottle, described when introduced in 2020 as ‘the world’s first climate-neutral wine bottle’?
Since the launch in 2020, our sustainable Eco2Bottle product line has evolved in several subareas. In addition to the climate-neutral wine bottle, numerous other projects have now been realised with various partners. We have developed a toolbox for our customers where they can choose the CO2 reduction that can be enjoyed with the production of their desired product. The toolbox used in this process has also evolved. We are currently working with a wide range of measures, for example the use of biomethane and green electricity. The accuracy of our product carbon footprint has greatly improved and we can accurately calculate the emissions saved for our customers.
GW: What is Wiegand-Glas’ involvement in the ZeroCO2Glas project along with consortium partners HORN Glass Industries, International Partners in Glass Research (IPGR), Stoelzle Glass Group and RWTH Aachen University?
We are researching and developing with various partners across academic and business spectrum to constantly reduce our CO2 emissions with new technologies. One project is the production of a CO2-free glass bottle, which is carried out by IPGR. This project is divided into three sub-projects. These are the substitution of natural gas by hydrogen, submerged charging and a CO2-free batch composition. IPGR will build a small furnace (mini melter) to achieve the project goals. The mini melter is expected to go into operation next year. The IPGR members expect to gain insight into the CO2-neutral production of glass bottles in large quantities.
GW: To summarise, what are your hopes and ambitions for Wiegand-Glas in the short, medium and long terms?
In the short and medium term, we have to handle the high energy cost and secure a reliable gas supply for our factories. In addition, we must prepare for a recession predicted by many leading economic institutions and advisors. The last and no less important goal is to continue to attract top talents.
In the long term, we must follow our roadmap and reduce our CO2 emissions to net zero. This includes the development of new melting technologies such as full electric or hybrid-fired melting tanks, which guarantee high quality even with large tonnages. Furthermore, the in-house generation and storage of renewable energy is essential to ensure a consistent energy supply for our operations. To achieve these goals, it is crucial that we maintain our financial strength, continue to invest in cutting-edge technology, and maintain our position as one of the most modern container glass manufacturers in the world.