Pilkington has taken another step in replacing fossil fuel in glass production with the announcement this week that it has run a furnace for a whole five-day period using a blend of hydrogen and conventional gas.
The demonstration, using two tonnes of hydrogen each day, proved that the full furnace could be run safely on the hydrogen blend without compromising on quality standards or operational performance.
The achievement follows the earlier news that the company achieved a global first by firing 100% hydrogen in part of the furnace https://www.the-glazine.com/?p=3883 .
The latest event was part of a UK-wide roadshow led by the Decarbonised Glass Alliance (DGA), aimed at showing the role that hydrogen will play in helping meet the UK’s target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The tour will , end the weekend before the UN Climate Change Conference (COP26) in Glasgow.
Chris Barron, chair of the DGA, said: “Hydrogen can help us meet the UK’s ever-pressing need for net zero carbon emissions, safely, at low cost, with minimal disruption, and while creating thousands of sustainable jobs across the country.
“It has a particularly valuable role to play in the hard to decarbonise sectors – transport, industry and heat. As a nation, we rely heavily on these industries, but they account for 40% of UK greenhouse gases. We must work together to create a deliverable pathway to a net zero energy infrastructure.”
Matt Buckley, Managing Director of Pilkington United Kingdom Ltd, said:
“We are proud to sit at the forefront of hydrogen innovation in the glass industry. Our team’s collaborations with HyNet and HyDeploy are enabling
