Ardagh and Absolut Vodka co-invest in hydrogen-fired glass furnace
Ardagh and Absolut Vodka’s latest collaboration will enable the global spirits brand to become the first to move to a partly hydrogen-fired glass furnace for large-scale production, in a significant step to reduce the CO2 emissions from making its iconic bottles. The hydrogen initiative is an important milestone for Absolut in becoming completely CO2 neutral by 2030.
The Limmared glass production facility in Sweden has been a partner with Absolut for 40 years and currently uses a combination of natural gas and electricity to power its furnaces. From the second half of 2023, Ardagh will launch a pilot blending 20% in green hydrogen to manufacture all of Absolut's bottles across its portfolio. The hydrogen will be produced onsite by using renewably sourced electricity.
The use of hydrogen would reduce Absolut Vodka’s carbon footprint from glass by 20%. It follows other joint initiatives to reduce carbon emissions, such as the light-weighting of glass, increased use of electricity in the current furnace and a significant increase in recycled flint glass – currently 53% with the ambition to add more.
Stéphanie Durroux, Chief Executive of The Absolut Company, says: "Given we’ve been investing in our own production for decades, decreasing our emissions and increasing energy efficiency, we’re now in a position where we also can focus on the parts of our value chain that are outside of our own scope. The glass manufacturing industry is in a transformative journey, and the world can’t wait for the perfect solution. A bold and innovative approach is needed to accelerate radical change that will help solve the significant sustainability challenges that all glassmakers and buyers of glass face."
Image: Ardagh Limmared’s hydrogen fuel blend will contribute to a 20% reduction of Absolut Vodka’s carbon footprint.
