Following the success of its webinar series in 2020, GlassTrend’s first 2021 webinar session on 26 January is entitled‘Oxy-fuel glass melting – A path to sustainability and lower CO2 emissions’by Shrikar Chakravarti and Sho Kobayashi of Linde plc.

Since 1991, over 300 commercial glass melting furnaces worldwide have been successfully converted to oxy-fuel firing. Despite the demonstrated benefits of oxy-fuel use in glass furnaces and the significant penetration of oxy-fuel in the specialty glass furnaces, only about 60 container and float glass furnaces have been converted to oxy-fuel firing. Meanwhile, most large soda-lime glass furnaces are still fired with air using large regenerators to recover waste heat in the flue gas.

Latest financial results released by international specialty glass company Schott confirm the group’s continued positive development and reinforce its plans for further growth by engaging in a bold investment programme.

Despite the generally weak economic environment due to the Covid-19 pandemic, Schott managed to continue to develop its key financial figures positively in fiscal year 2020, or to maintain them at the good level of the previous year. Sales rose by 2.2% to €2.24 billion, with an operating profit of €288 million.

Responding to the environmental challenges facing the planet and changing consumption patterns, Verallia has unveiled a three-pronged environmental, social and governance roadmap.

The leading international glass packaging group plans to enhance the circularity of glass packaging by maximising the integration of cullet into its production processes.

This will involve implementing actions aimed at increasing the amount of cullet collected in partnership with FEVE, national associations such as the CSVMF2 in France, or directly with local authorities in Russia or Chile, for example. To improve recycling capacity and efficiency, Verallia will invest directly in its cullet treatment centres and make use of direct partnerships with external suppliers.

AGC Inc has terminated discussions with Central Glass Co Ltd involving the proposed integration of their architectural glass businesses in Japan.

With the aim of increasing the management and capital efficiency, improving the profitability and enhancing the business foundation of the sluggish architectural glass business in Japan, AGC had concluded a memorandum of understanding with Central Glass in late 2019, regarding the integration of their architectural glass businesses and had undergone detailed studies and discussions toward the completion of the business integration at the end of 2020.

An AGC statement confirms that in the intervening months, it has been impossible to reach an agreement.

www.agc.com

The Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) has awarded Ardagh Group its ‘Leadership Class’ ratings for sustainability performance, scoring Ardagh Group A- for climate change and A- for water management.

The CDP is a not-for-profit that runs a global disclosure system which helps different stakeholders to manage environmental impacts. 

“Ardagh’s teams are focussed on driving our sustainability strategy across all its dimensions” said John Sadlier, Ardagh’s Chief Sustainability Officer. “The ratings from CDP evidence our constant focus on minimising our environmental footprint. While doing so, we actively support our customers in their own sustainability activities.” 

GGF Group Vice-President, Tony Smith of Pilkington United Kingdom Ltd (part of the NSG Group), has been elected Glass and Glazing Federation President.

“I am delighted to accept the GGF Presidency and to continue the great progress the federation has made over the last few years as the industry’s main trade body” Mr Smith commented. “There are of course huge challenges ahead as the trading environment continues to be adversely affected by the Coronavirus pandemic. In addition, now that the Brexit transition period has ended and the UK is no longer part of the EU, there will be changes and opportunities for the industry and the GGF.”

www.ggf.org.uk

Schott is to build a second melting tank for pharmaceutical glass tubing at its main plant in Mainz, Germany costing €40 million.

The production facility is scheduled to go into operation in mid-2022 and will provide 100 additional jobs, 50 of which will be directly at Schott.

The pharmaceutical glass production in Mainz is part of a global production network of the Tubing Business Unit, which also includes the Mitterteich site in Germany, as well as factories in Brazil, India and China. Schott has already significantly expanded its production capacities for pharmaceutical tubing in Asia in the autumn of 2020, with the commissioning of another tank in India and a completely new plant in China. 

MKD32 Managing Director, Matthew Demmon has been named President of British Glass.

Taking over from Saint-Gobain UK’s Steve Severs, who has been President since 2019, Mr Demmon started his two year term at the start of 2021.

He has been a member of the British Glass board of directors since 2016 and has served as Managing Director at glass merchant and consultancy firm MKD32 since its foundation in 2012.