Faced with the looming crisis, Glass Alliance Europe supports the European Commission’s plan published on 20 July to save energy as of now in order to avoid power cuts and to stave off economic chaos. The guidance on prioritization within industries for the supply of energy in case of curtailment, recognises the utmost need to avoid lasting damage to Europe’s industrial assets.

“The specificity of the glass manufacturing process, which cannot be interrupted without severe damages to installations, is enough to justify the priority supply of energy to the glass industry,” declared Bertrand Cazes, Secretary General of Glass Alliance Europe.

Knauf Insulation has selected Crossland Construction as the firm that will build their 650,000 ft2production facility in McGregor, Texas. With a portfolio of projects built in Texas and around the Southwest, Crossland emerged as Knauf’s finalist, and construction on the facility will begin on the first of August.

Ammat Glass chose SORG Group to deliver a single source for all its melting and conditioning requirements. The Group is comprised of Nikolaus SORG, EME and SKS offered an unrivalled combination of products and services to deliver a seamless hot end process.

The Swedish Transport Administration has chosen to use Foamit Group’s subsidiary Hasopor AB foam glass as a filling material in the E20 road refurbishing project between Eling and Vara in southern part of the country. The project will see 11km of highway improved.

Foam glass aggregate lightens the weight of road structures, insulates against frost and enables water to flow through structures rapidly. Using recycled glass, mainly supplied by Svensk Glasåtervinning AB, as a raw material saves on virgin natural resources and reduces the product’s carbon footprint. The product is also produced with certified electricity from renewable energy sources via Bixia.

The transport of exclusive glass products in safe and plastic-free packaging has been achieved by a joint collaboration between Cologne-based company PAPACKS Sales GmbH and Heinz‐Glas. The fibre casting packaging developed provides three-dimensional transport shells that are more dimensionally stable and shock-absorbing than their predecessors made of plastic, guaranteeing improved protection.

The innovation is based on a 100% renewable fibre feedstock made from cellulose from trees and industrial hemp. The CO2 footprint alone is reduced by a factor of four. According to the zero‐waste‐principle, the fibre cast transport packaging is either fully recyclable or can rot as organic compost within six weeks.

The huge demand for interior design, home and garden products and customisation, as well as a further shift to online shopping, driven by lockdown-induced focus on home upgrades in 2021, looks set to continue, presenting a significant opportunity to manufacturers. The ongoing renovation boom means the UK furniture and furnishings market is worth an estimated £14 billion in 2022.

Zignago Vetro Furnace no. 11 at Fossalta di Portogruaro, Italy is being dismantled after years of honourable service. At the same time Furnace no. 14 at the same facility has been started up.

The new furnace has been conceived with the very highest levels of technology and innovation and designed with particular attention to the palletization and labelling zones. Entering service early in July 2022, it can produce up to 370tpd thanks to its four lines, two of which can manage products in tandem. It specializes in food and beverage containers in flint glass, mainly jars but also bottles. If needed, it can work in other colours.

On July 13, Stoelzle Częstochowa celebrated the successful rebuild and expansion of its flint furnace, a project, which was completed in the impressively short time of 11 weeks. The last brick of the furnace was symbolically set during a solemn celebration, including a press conference. The new, expanded furnace will reach a production capacity of 480 tons per day and will be provided with three, more efficient and faster production lines. The total investment amounts to 45 mio EUR (200mio PLN) and turns the melting output at Stoelzle Częstochowa more efficient by 45%.

With St Helens, UK preparing for the opening of the £54m Glass Futures Global Centre of Excellence, St Helens North Labour MP Conor McGinn has secured a debate on glassmaking in the House of Commons on 14 July at 17.00 GMT that will receive an official response from a government minister from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy. The debate can be watched live at https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Commons

With Glass Worldwide as preferred journal, Glass Futures, a not-for-profit company, is creating the Global Centre of Excellence to make glass the low carbon material of choice.

https://www.glass-futures.org/