Bacardi and Hrastnik1860 partner on “first” hydrogen-fuelled glass spirits bottle

12 Dec 2023 --- Bacardi has completed the “first” commercial production of a glass spirits bottle fueled by hydrogen in a trial earlier this month.

Bacardi worked with premium glassmaker Hrastnik1860 to pioneer what it says is a new technology that powered a glass furnace with hydrogen as its primary energy source. Doing so cuts the GHG emissions typically produced as a byproduct of glass bottle production.

The bottle, which was trialed on the St-Germain elderflower liqueur bottle, is identical in appearance to the bottle produced using traditional methods and will reach bars and stores in the coming weeks.

“Piloting this lower carbon glass production is another example of Bacardi leading the industry in environmental best practice,” says Rodolfo Nervi, vice president of Safety, Quality and Sustainability for Bacardi. 

“We will take the learnings from the trial to help shape a pathway to hydrogen-fueled glass production and create a blueprint for others to follow. It’s only through making change as an industry that we can bring significant change to our impact on the environment.”

Hydrogen against GHG emissions  
Throughout the trial, which produced 150,000 of the brand’s 70cl glass bottles, hydrogen contributed more than 60% of the fuel for the glass furnace, cutting GHG emissions by more than 30%, according to the partnerships. 

“Successfully producing lower emission, premium glass bottles at a commercial scale, with absolutely no compromise on quality, has made all the hard work worthwhile,” Peter Čas, CEO, Hrastnik1860. 

“Like Bacardi, we are committed to developing new innovations that lower emissions while maintaining premium quality. This revolutionary technology proves the two can go hand in hand, and we are now taking the first steps in bringing it to market.”

To achieve its ambition of becoming the most environmentally responsible global spirits company, Bacardi says it is continuously investing in new innovations and exploring opportunities to use pioneering new technology to help achieve its ultimate goal of Net Zero.

Edited by Louis Gore-Langton