Verallia’s celebrates €12 million Cognac investment

Verallia’s Cognac plant has celebrated the restarting of one of the factory’s three furnaces, the one specialised in producing very high quality extra-flint glass.

Verallia said the €12m investment further strengthens its territorial anchoring in Charente and its leadership as the reference glassmaker on the dynamic Cognac market.

Work on modernising the furnace lasted less than two months and mobilised around fifty business partners. The furnace and its four production lines were refurbished to increase the facility’s extra-flint output and flexibility.

The result of a long industrial history initiated in 1878 by Claude Boucher, inventor of the first glass-blowing machine, Verallia’s Cognac plant today serves three main markets: still wines, sparkling wines, and Cognac and spirits. Most Cognac producers, regardless of their size and their positioning opt for extra-flint glass, a colour unrivalled in terms of transparency and shine.

Verallia saids the investment further strengthens its foothold in the Charente region of France where it employs 430 people in four manufacturing sites (glassmaking plant, the Everglass household glass treatment site, René Salomon facilities, Société Charentaise de décor acquired in April 2017).

“With this new installations, we are increasing our capacity, our flexibility – notably for the production of large containers up to 4.5l, and our quality control. We have also taken care of the working conditions for our teams: the lines are now equipped with hoists to reduce load-carrying, the site’s ventilation has been enhanced and we have refurbished the furnace control cabin at the hot end,” stated Christian Garnaud, Verallia Cognac’s plant manager.

During the traditional furnace lighting ceremony, the furnace was symbolically relit by Véronique Martial, PA at the plant, and Patrick Bernardet, furnace rebuild project leader at Verallia, who are now respectively the furnace’s godmother and godfather.

The machinery consists of DESERT production machines for high-efficiency DESERT solar modules built specifically for extreme hot climate, such as can be seen in deserts or in tropical areas. Made solely in Germany and built using the latest in DESERT and TROPIC module production, the systems inlcudes all cutting-edge technology.

Certified DESERT solar modules, DESERT containers, DESERT power plants and DESERT manufacturing machinery built using pioneering DESERT and TROPICS technology are now fully set up, and ready to perform. But powering on the machinery has been a long time coming. Up until recently, this advanced piece of equipment had been waiting for clearance at a port in Brazil. Now that the formalities have been dealt with, both J.v.G. Thoma and its customer in Brazil can get production under way.

J.v.G. Thoma GmbH is a company whose vision has always been to harness the infinite power of the sun and convert it into an inexhaustible supply of energy. But a vision such as this requires global reach, and this project has opened new doors. Brazil is not only a gateway to South American cooperation, but also the launchpad to international reach and expansion.

Following the delivery of this initial order, J.v.G. Thoma GmbH will be looking forward to an ongoing collaboration with the Brazilian company. From setup and initial training to setting the scene for a ramp up, J.v.G. Thoma will be there to provide expertise and assistance. Moreover, the company will be jointly responsible, along with the client, for the successful integration of the DESERT solar module factory.

In the future, bigger DESERT power plants will be set up on Brazilian soil, and together with existing turnkey production systems, they intend to take up a large share of the products and assets this sector will possess locally. J.v.G. Thoma plans to build up a local network of sales agents that can extend a premium offering to neighbouring countries in South America. Eventually, the company hopes to be able to expand its customer base to clients in North America.

Hans Thoma, general manager from the Thoma-group, is eager to acquire a substantial market share in Brazil, a growing country with tremendous potential for solar energy output. Having complied with local official procedures (Inmetro, TÜV, Fraunhofer CSP) and cleared the way for future business collaboration, he expresses his hope that the solar industry will henceforth expand quickly.

”Being able to introduce Brazil to the infinite opportunities of a solar industry is a privilege for J.v.G. Thoma GmbH, and one that we are extremely grateful for. At the same time, this placed the ball squarely in our court, and the pressure to get the ball rolling quickly was high. Now that the lengthy initial formalities are out of the way, we can focus on making this project a success.“

The first DESERT solar module production in BRAZIL! Let

Source: Glass International