Ardagh Glass adopts electric heat pump system at German facility

Ardagh Glass Packaging-Europe, an operating business of Ardagh Group, has partnered with RheinEnergie to install a heat supply system powered by electricity at its Obernkirchen facility in Germany to reduce carbon emissions and improve energy efficiency. 

The system will include two ammonia heat pumps and a hot water and waste heat recovery system capable of delivering a combined thermal output of around 3.5 MW, according to Ardagh. 

Andreas Kehne, plant director at Ardagh Glass Packaging Obernkirchen, says: “Choosing the heat pump system aligns with our ambition to make the Obernkirchen facility as sustainable as possible.” 

“Transitioning from gas to electricity is not the simplest route, but it is the right one. Together with our NextGen Furnace, which uses renewable electricity to reduce emissions in every glass bottle, this is a key step in reducing the site’s carbon footprint.”

The construction and installation are ongoing, and the glass producer expects the plant to be fully operational by November 2026.

Electricity-powered glass production

Previously, Ardagh heated the site using steam generated from hot flue gases from a conventional furnace. Following the installation of Ardagh’s flagship NextGen Furnace, the former gas-based heat supply will be replaced with the electricity-powered heat pump solution.

Ardagh’s NextGen Furnace, which replaces the gas heat supply, can also optimize waste heat recovery by capturing the warm process air from four annealing lehrs and redirecting it toward the packing area.

The move to an electric heat pump system is more complex than conventional approaches, but the company says it is worthwhile because it supports its long-term sustainability goals.

This initiative is part of Ardagh Glass Packaging-Europe’s commitment to decarbonize its manufacturing processes and accelerate the transition to more sustainable glass packaging production, the company states.

Recently, Ardagh Glass Packaging-North America launched a 275 mL glass bottle for Fitz Bottling Company’s Tonic Water, Tonic Water Zero, and Club Soda to enhance the glass producer’s footprint in the region.

Last year, the company successfully produced glass packaging using biofuel in a furnace during an industrial fuel switching trial at a UK facility.

Meanwhile, Ciner Glass signed a €504 million (US$584 million) financing agreement as part of the development of a container glass production facility in Lommel, Belgium, to produce light container glass with “minimal energy consumption.” The glass packaging plant is set to feature two high-capacity furnaces with a capacity of 650 metric tons per day and a total of eight production lines.