O-I INTERVIEW

In the last quarter of 2021, O-I Glass completed a €40 million investment in the Czech Republic, reconstructing a furnace at its Nové Sedlo plant and renewing related equipment including two production lines. Antonín Petras, plant manager described to Glass Worldwide the step forward in sustainability at the plant, which has operated for almost 145 years and today specialises in beer bottle production. The full version of this article appears in the March/April 2022 issue that has been mailed globally and is also now available free of charge in the digital archive*.

O-I INTERVIEW

O-I has reconstructed one of the two glass furnaces at its Nové Sedlo plant in the Czech Republic. The investment of almost €40 million included the demolition of the original furnace, construction of the new furnace and renewal of equipment on two production lines. One of the lines now operates with a new machine and the cold end also underwent complex modernisation.

The shutdown of the furnace is always an extraordinary event,” said Antonín Petras, Nové Sedlo’s Plant Manager. “This furnace worked for more than 15 years. The new furnace is larger and thus ensures greater production productivity. Also, it will provide us more flexibility in the production, so we can keep pace with the developing demands of our customers.” The plant operates with two furnaces and its site covers 14 hectares.

With the investment, the O-I plant proceeds on its sustainability journey. Over 10% energy savings are expected, as well as 10% emissions reduction. Creating a sustainable future is one of the company’s most important commitments. One of O-I’s global goals is to increase the average use of recycled content in its glass to 50%. “Our plant is focused on green and amber glass production, which already enables us using up to 80% of recycled material for making our bottles,” explained Mr Petras.

Symbol of stability

O-I’s Nové Sedlo plant is located in the north-western part of the Czech Republic, 150km [93 miles] from the Czech capital of Prague. It has been a part of the global Owens-Illinois network since 1996. However, the region has a much longer history of glassmaking. The Nové Sedlo plant was founded in 1878 and in the times of greatest prosperity employed more than 2,000 people. Some reminders of the great times of the factory’s history can be seen even today. One is the old plant’s chimney, which has been an integral part of the town’s landscape for more than 100 years and was registered as a cultural monument in 2021. Today, O-I Glass provides employment for 200 people locally.

Through the decades, the glassmaking plant in Nové Sedlo has become a symbol of stability in the region. Even the Covid-19 pandemic did not stop its operations, including the latest investment. The rebuild of the furnace started in September 2021 and took exactly two months, when the Covid-19 pandemic was peaking again in the Czech Republic. “Of course, we adhered to strict safety measures at all times, and we also tested all employees and external staff for Covid-19 as a precaution. It was not always easy to organise and it required extra effort from all our employees and contractors. But thanks to that, everything was completed according to schedule with no major health or safety issues,” added Antonín Petras.

Dominating the market

One of the first products to come off the renewed lines was a special beer bottle with a motif of the rebuild. The Nové Sedlo plant produces some 500 million bottles every year and its portfolio comprises more than 100 products, mostly beer bottles, but also wine containers. About 60% of the plant’s production is destined for the Czech market, with the rest exported to adjacent countries.

In the Czech Republic, O-I Glass also operates in Dubí near Teplice in Northern Bohemia. This plant has one furnace and is specialising in flint glass. O-I is the market leader on the Czech market.


Image: Antonín Petras (right) with members of the Furnace Rebuild Project Team.

Further Information: 

web: www.o-i.com

 
* The full version of this article appears in the March/April issue that has been mailed globally. The digital version of this issue can also currently be read free of charge in its entirety alongside back copies in the Digital Archive (sponsored by FIC) at https://www.glassworldwide.co.uk/Digital-Issues. To receive the paper copy, all future issues and a free copy of the Who’s Who / Annual Review yearbook, subscribe now at https://www.glassworldwide.co.uk/subscription-choice