Glass furnaces are widely used energy-intensive industrial machines, running at around 1500°C with furnaces that rely mainly on fossil fuel-based power. The VITRUM project uses a partially electrified furnace combined with post-consumer recycled (PCR) glass, and a more efficient forehearth conditioning system to keep molten glass at the right temperature and consistency for shaping.
This cutting-edge technique is applied to the production of high-quality cosmetic containers in Bormioli Luigi’s northern Italian plant in Abbiategrasso, redefining a sector that currently lacks sustainable alternatives like hybrid furnaces.
The glass container industry remains a cornerstone of the European packaging market. In 2021, it represented 61.7 % of Europe's total glass production, with 164 operational facilities. However, only 15 % of these currently run on electricity, highlighting an area where the use of hybrid furnaces could make a substantial difference.
Cutting emissions where it’s hardest
Leading the charge, the project was selected under one of the first Innovation Fund calls for small-scale projects and entered into operation in January 2025. Supported by a €4.1 million grant, its scalable hybrid and digital technologies are expected to cut roughly 25,500 tonnes of CO2 over 10 years, comparable to the annual greenhouse gas emission output of roughly 15,000 EU households1.
Emission reductions are achieved in several sections of the plant: 80 % from furnace hybridisation, while the remainder comes from increased use of PCR glass, with a smaller contribution also coming from improved efficiency in the forehearth channels. Although PCR is an effective substitute for more energy-intensive materials, it is often underused due to quality constraints, an issue that VITRUM is helping to overcome.
Creating a clear path towards clean industry
During the furnace's construction and initial testing phase, the project faced a three-month delay due to bubbles that caused defects in the glass. The technical team resolved the issue with support from the supplier and through technical trials.
Supporting the wider transition to low-emission industry, VITRUM’s long-term vision goes beyond the glass sector. Its hybrid furnace technologies could be applied to other energy-intensive industries like - steel, cement and ceramics – with the potential to significantly contribute to climate neutrality goals. To encourage this sustainable technological shift, the project will produce technical guidance on hybrid furnace management and operation.
Learn more about the Innovation Fund.
1 Assuming an average EU person’s footprint of about 9.1 tonnes of CO₂ per year and a typical household of around 1.6–1.8 people. Source: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Greenhouse_gas_emission_footprints
Article published on 29 January 2026