Hydrogen trial set route to reduced emissions
The successful manufacture of architectural glass by NSG Group at the Pilkington Greengate, St Helens site using hydrogen power was another step in the aims to reduce carbon emissions by 2% per annum during the three-year period of the Revival Plan 24.
This also provides a view to achieving 21% reduction in 2030 compared to the 2018 levels.
In the three week trial NSG managed to achieve a seamless transition between air-gas firing and air-hydrogen firing, with regenerative air preheating.
The trial proved that hydrogen was as capable as natural gas in achieving excellent melting performance and that it could be possible to operate the furnace with vastly reduced carbon emissions. It is a key step in the Group's plans to decarbonize.
The switch to hydrogen to power the production from natural gas means that float glass furnaces - which account for the majority of Group carbon emissions - would be able to operate with hugely lower emissions.
Tankers supplied the hydrogen to the site for the trial, for the longer term, a stable supply of hydrogen made possible through a network of pipelines to key industrial sites could enable a full transition to hydrogen fuelled glass making.
Image: NSG Pilkington Greengate site
