Saint Gobain and AGC Glass Europe have announced a technological partnership to deploy a large scale highly electrified hybrid furnace for flat glass production at Saint Gobain's plant in Avilés, Spain.

The new furnace will replace the existing production furnace at the site. Construction is scheduled to begin in January 2027, with flat glass production expected to resume during the second half of 2027.

The project, named FurHy, will achieve an electrification rate of approximately 75 percent of the glass melting process. According to Saint Gobain, it will be the largest electric furnace ever built for flat glass production and represents a world first for the industry.

Once operational, the furnace is expected to reduce emissions by approximately 80,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent per year, corresponding to around 50 percent compared with a conventional gas fired furnace. Natural gas consumption is expected to decrease by approximately 265 GWh annually, representing a reduction of around 80 percent compared with a standard gas furnace.

The furnace will use low carbon electricity supported by renewable energy supply agreements secured by Saint Gobain in Spain.

The FurHy project builds on the cooperation between Saint Gobain and AGC Glass Europe under the VOLTA project in the Czech Republic. The pilot project demonstrated the technical feasibility of increased electrification for flat glass melting.

The project is supported by the European Union Emissions Trading System Innovation Fund and forms part of both companies' strategies to reduce the carbon footprint of flat glass production.