Through a landmark collaboration AGC Glass Europe is developing a revolutionary new low carbon glass furnace with Saint Gobain
AGC Glass Europe (AGC) is a leading manufacturer, processor and distributor of flat glass, serving the construction sector (architectural glazing and interior glass), the automotive industry and solar, transport and high-tech applications. The company boasts 100 sites throughout Europe and employs around 13,000 people. Thanks to its expertise in glass composition and coating, AGC Glass Europe strives to offer the best architectural response to requirements for light transmission, thermal or acoustic insulation, solar control, security, aesthetics and energy generation, as well as new solutions offered by glass in the fields of communication and connectivity.
Before delving into the exciting new Volta Project he is heading up, AGC’s Stijn Van Braband shares some more detailed insights into the company’s products: “In
the building industry for example, the company mainly focuses on glass solutions for the cities of tomorrow, including skyscrapers, office buildings, museums, retail stores, schools, hospitals, sports centers and of course housing. Producing glass in a low-carbon way is also a priority for the business.
“One of the strategies to achieve this involves the collecting of end-of-life windows and partnering with cullet recycling companies in order to process this waste as usable raw materials. This helps reduce the use of virgin raw material and the associated carbon emissions during production. This will contribute to the circularity of our business.
“In the automotive and transport sector AGC is the reference provider of value-added solutions for a green, smart and connected mobility. The company has cemented its position as a market leader by meeting the growing demand for a broader range of applications. These include panoramic windshields available with wireless heating, head-up display or anti-IR coating for greater thermal comfort, side windows with UV protection, backlites with built-in antennae that double as defrosting elements and glass roofs that convert from transparent to opaque at the touch of a switch. In Europe one in four cars is fitted with AGC glazing.”
Stijn goes on, elaborating on the importance of sustainability to the business, and the steps it has taken to lead the way in revolutionizing a historically carbon intensive industry: “As a true innovator, AGC has developed several cutting-edge technologies to improve sustainability from its own Technovation Center in Belgium; the company has dedicated a serious budget for its research and development (R&D) program focusing on sustainable products. In 2022 AGC launched a ‘low carbon glass’ product range. Low carbon glass presents significantly lower embedded CO2 compared to our average float glass while maintaining the same quality, aesthetical and technical performances.
“AGC has a unique ‘holistic’ approach that combines several different actions to achieve the decrease of embodied carbon, including local sourcing of materials, melting sand and raw materials with electricity, focusing on recycling glass and more efficient logistics. Indeed, environmentally friendly products are not new for AGC; in 2010, AGC became the first European glass manufacturer to receive Cradle-to-Cradle certification. Another recent and revolutionary innovation in insulating glass units brought to the market and manufactured in Belgium is Vacuum-Insulating Glass (with the brand name FINEO). This is the next generation of insulating glass, combining ultra-slim design with outstanding thermal and acoustic performance. Being the most energy efficient insulating glazing range at the moment with a thickness of only 8mm it outweighs other glazing solutions. It is also the first and only Vacuum Insulating Glass worldwide to obtain a third-party verified Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) for both standard and Low-Carbon configurations”.
In line with this commitment to sustainability, the company has initiated a groundbreaking collaboration between two of the largest competitors in the industry to push the technological boundaries of glass production. The Volta Project is a joint R&D initiative by AGC and Saint-Gobain to design and install a hybrid flat-glass furnace, combining electric melting and oxy-gas combustion. Currently the industry standard is 100 percent natural gas to power the furnace to create the enormous amount of heat that is needed to melt and refine the glass. This results in high CO2 emissions which both companies aim to reduce drastically. The new technology, based on a melting process that is 50 percent electrified, and 50 percent fired by a combination of oxygen and gas, presents a absolute breakthrough. Furthermore, the sustainability model of the project will be strengthened by substituting virgin raw materials with up to 100 percent recycled glass.
Stijn sheds some more light on the initiative: “Faced with the UN and EU climate targets for the years to come, the energy transition away from fossil fuels and the high costs of both energy (gas) and EU ETS (emissions trading system) allowances, there was a common interest for both companies to evaluate the technological options how to decarbonize their respective activities in flat glass production. A fundamental new design of the glass melting process was required to make a real breakthrough in the reduction of the primary emissions from our float glass furnaces.”
As part of this project, AGC’s Barevka patterned glass production line in the Czech Republic, was refurbished into a high performing and state-of-the-art line. The new furnace is a proof-of-concept design to demonstrate that the technology can be applied to large float glass furnaces. This R&D project received funding by the Innovation Fund of the European Union.
After extensive studies, procurement processes, construction works, and heating up the furnace, it became fully operational in February 2025. The companies celebrated this important milestone with a huge event, with representatives of the Czech Republic, European Union representatives and executives of both companies present. Production is now on course to produce up to the planned 90 tons a day. The technology is now undergoing a three-year trial period, which is to test the furnace’s capacity to its limits and identify and improve any issues that could occur along the way before it could be implemented to other furnaces.
“There is no better solution imaginable than when two major players with a long history in technology and process development join forces to develop a new technology that can change the way we produce glass for the next decades,” reflects Stijn.
He concludes by saying: “As many of our factories celebrate their 100-year anniversaries, over a century of glassmaking know-how and local craftsmanship are passed on to the next generation. Innovation has been key to the company’s success over its history. Now we live in different times, but glass is, and will be, still be an essential material in the future. We believe as a strong company we have the courage, expertise and the solutions to contribute and help advance energy efficient renovation of buildings, affordability of construction materials, new materials for mobility and, ultimately, better living conditions for people.”