All the details and figures of AGC Glass Europe’s decarbonisation journey in 2023 can now be found in the updated Sustainability section of the corporate website.
Leading the glass industry to decarbonise
AGC Glass Europe is committed to reaching the AGC Group objective to reduce its carbon footprint by 30 percent in 2030 (FY2019) and achieve carbon-neutral glass production by 2050.
It is estimated that in 2023 the Carbon Footprint of AGC Glass Europe was 2.7 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent, which represents a reduction of 13 percent versus 2019. Results show that the main CO2 emissions hotspots are mainly attributed to fuel combustion and raw material decarbonization, raw materials production from the company suppliers and electricity purchased for the production sites.
Decarbonisation highlights of 2023
Recycling
- AGC Glass Europe recycles around 700,000 tonnes of cullet per year, saving about 840,000 tonnes of raw material and 490,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions.
- The average cullet ratio in the company’s raw materials was close to 30 percent in 2023 and AGC aims to increase this ratio to 50 by 2030.
Use of green energy
- In 2023, the total electricity production from low-carbon sources (wind, solar, cogeneration and heat recovery) reached 42,917 MWh. As a result, close to 3,120 tonnes of CO2 were saved in 2023.
- The total output of photovoltaic installations reached 11,166 MWh. This is a remarkable increase close to 80 percent vs 2022 production
Using highly efficient melting furnaces
- Electro-boosting.
An interdisciplinary AGC team is in the process of installing electro-boosting on our float production lines to partially electrify production lines all over Europe. - Design of a hybrid mid-sized pilot furnace for flat glass.
AGC’s Barevka production line in the Czech Republic will be entirely refurbished in 2024 into a high performing and state-of-the-art line that aims to be 50 percent electrified, and 50 percent fired by a combination of oxygen and gas. The hybrid furnace is expected to reduce the pilot site’s scope 1 and 3 emissions by 75 percent compared to the reference scenario. The used electricity will be 100 percent produced by renewables technologies.
Glass at the heart of sustainable architecture – Low-Carbon Glass
The first Low-Carbon glass was successfully produced at the AGC plant in Moustier, Belgium. In 2023, the AGC plant in Seingbouse, France, also started producing Low-Carbon Glass. Other AGC float plants are likely to follow.