Glass Futures Opens Global Center of Glass Excellence in England
Glass Futures has opened its Global Center of Glass Excellence in St. Helens, Merseyside, England. The 160,000-square-foot facility will produce up to 30 tons of glass daily in a research and development furnace.
Glass Futures is a nonprofit membership organization that provides research and development with the goal of designing high-value and fully sustainable, zero-carbon products.
Officials state that the facility will enable members and researchers to collaborate and experiment with different energy sources, raw materials and technologies to demonstrate solutions for sustainable energy use in the glass-making process.
“The dream is now a reality,” says Aston Fuller, general manager at Glass Futures. “As we look toward officially opening the building in summer [2023] with our 30-ton-per-day furnace and pilot line firing within the next 12 months, it’s only the beginning.”
Potential projects at the center include the development of alternative fuel technologies, robotic operations and automation, raw material and cullet processing technology, next-generation refractories, inspection equipment and sensors, and more.
Glass Futures was co-founded by Encirc, Guardian Glass, O-I Glass and Siemens. The Global Center of Glass Excellence was conceived by Dave Dalton, CEO of British Glass.
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