O-I Glass completes biofuel trial for glass-making process

O-I Glass (OI) completed a trial in its plant in Harlow, UK, using 100% biofuel to replace natural gas in the furnace for the glass-making process. This achievement is part of a larger initiative led by Glass Futures and part of the UK government’s “Net Zero Innovation Portfolio” program, aimed at exploring sustainable fuel options for the industry in the UK. By combining biofuel with advanced technologies such as cullet pre-heating, 88% cullet usage throughout the entire trial period, and an oxy-fuel furnace, the Harlow plant achieved a significant reduction in the CO2 footprint for the amber bottles produced. The trial at O-I’s Harlow plant has demonstrated the potential for using biofuel on a large scale. This successful trial indicates that O-I could implement this solution when biofuels become available in sufficient quantities and at a feasible cost for full-scale production.