The next milestone on the way to climate-neutral production has been reached: After successfully testing glass production with 100 percent hydrogen on a laboratory scale last spring, the technology group SCHOTT has now completed the much anticipated industrial-scale application.
For three days, the Mainz-based specialty glass expert melted optical glass in a furnace using the new technology for the first time – exclusively heated by hydrogen, completely free of natural gas.
So far, SCHOTT has been conducting its tests with grey hydrogen because green hydrogen, produced from renewable energies, is not yet available in sufficient quantities.
The large-scale test received excellent marks, and the quality of the glass is now being analysed.
“The test with 100 percent hydrogen is pioneering work for the specialty glass industry,” explained SCHOTT project manager Dr. Lenka Deneke. “If the tests show that the quality of the glass is also right and the glass properties remain unchanged, hydrogen would indeed be a suitable technology option.”
- Big step towards climate-friendly specialty glass production
- First optical glass made exclusively from a hydrogen-heated furnace
- Lack of green hydrogen infrastructure delays industrial use