In its study “Glass 2045 – Decarbonisation of the Glass Industry”[1] the Federal Association of the Glass Industry (“Bundesverband Glasindustrie e.V.” - BV Glas) in cooperation with Stuttgart University’s Institute of Energy Economics and Rational Energy Use (“Institut für Energiewirtschaft und Rationelle Energieanwendung – IER”) charted and compared three transformation pathways which can lead the energy-intensive glass industry with its direct emissions towards climate neutrality by 2045. In the long term, the key lies in replacing natural gas in melting – currently accounting for 77% of the final energy mix – with electrical power and green gases. The Association and the Institute identify the highest probability of success in a gradual changeover to hybrid melting technologies.
In German glass production about four million tons of CO2 are emitted annually especially by firing the melting tanks with natural gas but also through process-related, chemical reactions of the raw materials used. There are few alternatives for the latter and carbon capture and storage (CCS/CCU) is hard to implement in view of the comparatively low CO2-concentrations in glass industry waste gas. There is a need for further research and the development of a CO2-infrastructure here. The biggest lever for decarbonisation therefore is replacing the fuel used for the process heat – moving away from natural gas to electrical power and green gases (hydrogen, biogas, synthetic methane). Technologically refitting the glass melting units originally designed for gaseous fuels poses a major challenge especially since other processes, such as the use of waste heat, have been interconnected in most production lines for a long time now. This task can only be accomplished by 2045 if the competitiveness of the industry is maintained and policymakers continue to see transformation as an existential challenge for society at large and drive it forward – indeed much depends on the successful, EU-wide transition from fossil fuels to regenerative energy and green gases.
With a view to obtaining a precise assessment of the status quo, the study analysed the factories producing container glass, flat glass and special glass in Germany – considering all the variables such as the numbers and types of melting tanks, production output and energy consumption; it examined three possible transformation pathways for the use of zero-emission energy sources – depending on the suitability and availability of the technology for the glass product to be manufactured, the availability of infrastructure as well as manufacturers’ already communicated or planned decarbonisation measures. In the “BAU” scenario no material changes versus the current state of the art in the individual glass works are assumed until 2045 – and this served as a benchmark for the following analysis of the alternative transformation pathways “Electrification”, “Hydrogen” and “Hybrid Scenario”, which were simulated in terms of energy consumption, CO2 emissions and foreseeable costs.