A question of balance: sustainability and profitability

The global glass industry is entering a new age of green manufacturing in which it needs to bring its total carbon emissions down to zero during the next two furnace campaigns. Consequently, that means stepping away from fossil fuels towards alternative, sustainable energy sources; most likely to electrical energy, perhaps hydrogen, bio-fuels, or a combination of these. This represents a complex change, not only from a technological point of view but also from a commercial aspect. There are many complications to overcome. The bottom line of which is to keep earning money to finance the technological changes needed to secure the business, by managing capital expenditure and, specifically operating expense. In the meantime a new generation of workers is entering the industry, replacing most of the experienced workforce. The technological shift that needs to be introduced in this new era of glass making will in fact have a bigger impact on the industry than the introduction of the Pilkington or NNPB [narrow neck press and blow] processes of the past.

Every detail counts

More than ever, the glass manufacturing process will need to look for every tiny improvement that contributes to revenue and profit; squeezing savings out of every bit of available process flexibility. To support those operational advancements, process control and data analytics will have to adjust substantially. The way energy is paid for will change, the mix of energy used will change, and the way energy enters the process will change. Manufacturers will need to ensure that they are on the lowest possible energy tariffs, fulfilling CO₂ emission targets, maintain manufacturing flexibility and maximising pull and yield while keeping customers happy at all times.

Glass Industry 4.0

The parameters involved do not necessarily amplify each other by working in the same direction. Typically, each advantage comes with a disadvantage so the only option is to tweak all parameters in a way that gets the most out of them as a whole. Over the next few decades the industry faces a huge technology change during which the most experienced workers will be replaced by enthusiastic but inexperienced youngsters, and the manufacturing process will move away from fossil fuel to begin using alternative energy sources. At the same time, it is important to ensure that glass continues to be the preferred packaging material for food and beverage to make vehicles and buildings more energy efficient and to contribute to a better world. The industry needs to maintain its social license to operate and this will require utilising the latest digital technologies. Consider this transformation as Glass Industry 4.0.

Data is at the heart of sustainable practices

The development of process control over the last 25 years has resulted in established technology capable of solving the complex balances previously mentioned. However, the traditional approach still tends to treat each part of the process separately. An important part of the transformation to achieve the balance between sustainability and profitability is to start treating the process as a whole, as one multi-variable process. Therefore, batch house, hot-end, forming, cold-end, quality, packaging and warehouse can no longer be considered as separate systems. Start recognising that each is part of, and has an impact on, the overall outcome. All parts interact with each other so they should all be controlled at the same time. Controlling the process correctly from end to end will improve the process as a whole. With the right infrastructure and actionable data, sustainability can be embedded in the entire production cycle, comprehensively including everything from supply chain management and glass manufacturing quality control to energy consumption and recycling.

Taking the right steps together

With renewables and distributed energy resources on the rise, businesses have the opportunity to become more profitable in the long run. By pairing energy information with analytic tools that make timely recommendations based on relevant historical and real-time data, digital transformation can set a business’s economy on a sustainable footing and accelerate its transition to low-carbon glass manufacturing.

Taking active steps forward, the amount of electrical power required for glass manufacturing will increase exponentially. Getting the balance between sustainability and profitability right needs specific knowledge and skillsets that are not typically available from traditional furnace hardware and process equipment suppliers. Schneider Electric [which acquired Eurotherm in 2014] has a mission to ‘empower all to make the most of our energy and resources, bridging progress and sustainability for all’. Working with the company as a trusted partner to harness digital and electrical technology and interlock new technologies ‘from grid to glass’ will help manufacturers contribute to the low-carbon economy and maintain their social licence to operate. As a bonus, refreshment from glass bottles can continue, as the world cannot do without ‘green’ glass!

About author:

Special thanks to former Business Leader for Global Glass at Eurotherm, René Meuleman, for authoring the original content of this article.

The full version of this article appears in the January/February 2021 issue of Glass Worldwide alongside a broad cross-selection of editorial that assists with all areas of production and processing.