It is said that this is the "first case" in the whole-ball liquor industry. Absolute vodka revealed that it plans to use a glass furnace with partial hydrogen combustion in mass production to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
Absolute vodka has signed an agreement with Ardagh Glass Packaging Company to adopt a glass furnace with partial hydrogen combustion, which will start in the second half of 2023 to encourage the transition to a more sustainable glass manufacturing process.
It is understood that Ardagh currently uses natural gas and electricity to power its furnace. Ardagh will replace 20% of natural gas with green hydrogen to produce all bottles of Absolut. Hydrogen is planned to be produced at Ardagh's Limmared factory in Sweden.
It is estimated that the use of hydrogen will reduce Absolut's glass carbon footprint by 20%, which is based on other joint measures to reduce emissions, such as lightweight glass, increasing the use of electrification in current furnaces, and increasing the recycled flint glass.
Commenting on the pilot program, Stéphanie Durrox, the first CEO of Juedui Company, said: "Since we have been investing in production, reducing emissions and improving energy efficiency for decades, we are now in a position to focus on the parts of our value chain that are not within our scope.
The glass manufacturing industry is in the process of transformation, and the world can no longer wait for a perfect solution. A bold and innovative approach is needed to accelerate radical change, which will help solve the major sustainability challenges faced by all glass manufacturers and glass buyers. "
In July, 2021, an Italian consortium consisting of Italian National Natural Gas Pipeline Company, Italian Classification Society, Luigi Poirot Mioni, Pomioli Roque, stara Glass, UNI.GE, Stazione Sperimentale del Vetro, Italian IFRF Association, SGRPRO and RJC SOFT revealed that it planned to use hydrogen to reduce emissions in the glass industry.
Bo Nilsson, general manager of Ardagh Glass Limmared, added: "The industry needs to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels and gradually transition to more green energy. By investing in this new technology, we begin the journey of reducing the carbon footprint of glass packaging. This kind of innovation is challenging, but it is committed to becoming a future-oriented pioneer in the global glass manufacturing industry. "
