Absolut Vodka & Ardagh co-invest in hydrogen-fired glass furnace

2023/01/09

Absolut Vodka is working with Ardagh to move to a partly hydrogen energy-fired glass furnace for large-scale production in a significant step to reduce the CO2 emissions.

Described as a global spirits industry first, Absolut has signed an agreement with Ardagh Glass Packaging in Limmared, a subsidiary of Ardagh Group, to use this partly hydrogen-fired furnace commencing in the second half of 2023.

The collaboration will accelerate the transformation of the global glassmaking process for a more sustainable future.

This means a full-scale change of the continuous production of Absolut bottles for all markets globally.

The hydrogen will be produced onsite at Ardagh by using renewably sourced electricity, and reduce Absolut Vodka’s carbon footprint from glass by 20%.

Stéphanie Durroux, chief executive of The Absolut Company, said: “Given we’ve been investing in our own production for decades, decreasing our emissions and increasing energy efficiency, we’re now in a position where we also can focus on the parts of our value chain that are outside or our own scope. The glass manufacturing industry is in a transformative journey, and the world can’t wait for the perfect solution. A bold and innovative approach is needed to accelerate radical change that will help solve the significant sustainability challenges that all glassmakers and buyers of glass face.”

Bo Nilsson, managing director of Ardagh Glass Limmared AB, added: “Our industry needs to be less reliant on fossil fuels and transition at pace to using more green energy. By investing in this new technology, we are embarking on a journey to reduce the carbon footprint of our glass packaging. There are challenges with such innovation, but we are committed to being an early mover in future-proofing our glass manufacturing operations world-wide.”

Source: https://www.packagingnews.co.uk/news/markets/drinks/absolut-ardagh-hydrogen-fired-glass-03-01-2023