€24 million has been invested by Verallia France to rebuild and modernise one of two melting furnaces and associated production lines at its Lagnieu site. Located in eastern France in the Ain region, the glass container factory serves both craft and multi-national companies. The accompanying photograph shows Verallia management and dignitaries at a recently held opening ceremony.

Capable of producing some two million jars every day, the furnace has been completely rebuilt and the five production lines it supplies have been modernised. This reconstruction provided an opportunity to install the latest technologies and more modern materials, in particular to improve the energy performance and environmental impact of the facilities, in line with the group's environmental commitments.

For example, the furnace features a new combustion control system that promotes its homogeneity and therefore reduces hot spots, which emit nitrogen oxides.

The project also improves the reliability of the installations, the quality of production and contributes to improving the working conditions of employees. The work also provided an opportunity to deploy an ambitious training programme of more than 1000 hours, organised around the use of modernised machines, occupational safety, production quality and industrial excellence, one of Verallia's priorities.

verallia.com