Electrification and recycling: the decarbonisation objectives of the Fédération des Industries du Verre for 2030 and 2050 are based on these two cornerstones. The shift towards zero-emission energy and the diversification of energy resources are the key to achieving the reduction and even complete elimination of fossil fuels from theglass industry.
The abandonment of fossil fuels
The Fédération des Industries du Verre is strongly committed to the electrification of processes; to date, glass production still depends heavily on natural gas and only to a lesser extent on electricity, but this dynamic will soon be reversed thanks to the use of 100% electric ovens and hybrid ovens, which use 80% electricity and 20% gas.
Beyond electrification, the sector also intends to progressively replace natural gas with biomethane or other more sustainable biogases.
The project of the Fédération des Industries du Verre
La decarbonization of the French glass industry is developing through a multi-level strategy, which includes:
- the use of decarbonised energy and raw materials,
- glass recycling,
- improving energy efficiency,
- the eco-design of products.
A two-phase plan, with glass companies at the centre
The French glass industry is responsible for 3% of industrial CO2 emissions at the national level and 0,6% of the country's total. For this reason, the Fédération des Industries du Verre has validated a green strategy based on two phases: first, the drafting, at the end of 2023, of the decarbonisation roadmap, shared by the Ministry of Industry, and second, the publication, in April 2024, of the Sectoral Transition Plan (PST), developed in collaboration with ADEME (the French Agency for the Environment and Energy Management).
The two initiatives closely involved glass companies, and it was precisely the sharing of opinions, projects and perspectives between these entities that indicated the direction towards an epochal paradigm shift for the sector.
Source: fedeverre.fr, glass-international.com
