Stoelzle joins forces in ZeroCO2Glas project
In 2020 Stoelzle joined forces with the German research association International Partners in Glass Research.
Sustainability has been a major issue for the company, and significant investments have been made in R&D, technologies and processes throughout all production and decoration sites in order to achieve important targets in the field of energy reduction and to boost eco-friendly processes and technologies.
Therefore, participating in the ZeroCO2Glas has been a great honour for Stoelzle.
The overall goal of the ZeroCO2Glas project is to use an all-encompassing approach to develop a revolutionary glass melting process in connection with a new type of CO2-neutral and energy saving glass melting furnace.
The project is funded by the German Ministry for Economy and Climate with a maximum of €8.38 million and a total project budget of €14.94 million. The other consortium partners involved are: Department of Glass and Glass-Ceramic, RWTH Aachen University; Institut für Industrieofenbau und Wärmetechnik, RWTH Aachen University; Horn Glass Industries; and Wiegand-Glas.
The funding refers to increasing energy efficiency, expanding renewable energies and reducing greenhouse gases significantly. In this respect, the ZeroCO2Glas project makes a significant contribution as it relates to the very energy-intensive glass industry, where up to 85% of the energy required in the manufacturing process is used for the melting.
The innovative melting technology aims to reduce energy consumption by 15% compared to conventional furnaces, and shall allow CO2-free glass melting.
Energy savings will be achieved by using alternative and CO2-free raw materials, avoiding unnecessary humidification of the batch, as well as reducing the dwell time of the glass in the furnace.
The furnace will be set up in Aachen, Germany, as a hybrid furnace with hydrogen-oxygen and natural gas-oxy firing, as well as electrical heating.
All approaches have already been tested on a laboratory scale; the project thus represents the second stage of upscaling.
Image: Saving energy in container glass production.
