The objective of the Volta project is to design and build a novel hybrid glass furnace combining electric melting and oxygen/gas combustion. The integrated design provides an alternative to the mostly natural gas fired flat glass industry.
Marc Foguenne, VP Sustainability at AGC Glass Europe and responsible for the Volta Project, explains more about the project, covering the context, objectives, technical solutions and the ongoing cold repair.
- Volta: accelerating the flat glass industry’s decarbonization
- The objective of the Volta project is to design and build a novel hybrid glass furnace combining electric melting and oxygen/ gas combustion. The integrated design provides an alternative to the mostly natural gas fired flat glass industry.
- The new design is invented through a partnership with Saint-Gobain in AGC’s existing patterned glass furnace in Barevka, Czech Republic. Once entirely refurbished, the production line will be 50 percent electrified and 50 percent fired by a combination of oxygen and gas, while the industry standard is close to 100 percent natural gas. Material consumption will be strongly reduced thanks to a high ratio of recycling.
- Further details on the Volta project’s webpage.
The “Volta” R&D project is funded by the Innovation Fund of the European Union.
