The glass industry needs to increase efficiency and reduce the carbon footprint across the value chain. But how? Glass Futures, a unique Global Center of Excellence in the UK. It focuses on new technologies and partnerships that help the glass industry accelerate its sustainable transformation.
The Global Center of Excellence for the glass industry connects manufacturers with academia to innovate and demonstrate state-of-the-art technologies.
Glass Futures is an open platform that drives collaboration and innovation across the glass industry by connecting manufacturers, researchers, and technology partners worldwide.
Glass Futures enhances energy efficiency and process optimization by leveraging integrated systems, data-driven planning, and intelligent services across the glass production value chain.
Glass Futures supports industry-wide sustainability goals by promoting renewable energy, innovative materials, and more efficient melting and supply chain processes across the glass sector.
Glass Futures offers glass manufacturers state-of-the-art technologies, tools, and training opportunities, as well as expertise in digitalization, automation, drives, and cybersecurity.
“Sustainability requires greater energy efficiency, renewable energy sources, and new technical solutions. We must learn to use renewable energy more efficiently and optimize processes.”
The glass industry is inherently energy-intensive and has traditionally relied on natural gas as its primary energy source. In order to meet EU climate goals and the Paris Agreement, the industry must reduce its emissions and fossil fuel usage. Glass Futures supports these efforts by promoting the use of renewable energy, new materials, and more efficient melting and supply chain processes (Scopes 1 to 3).
Since furnaces account for over half of the energy used in glass plants, improving their efficiency is essential. Glass Futures aims to help the industry reach carbon neutrality by 2050 without compromising productivity, quality, or availability.
The partnership with Siemens provides Glass Futures the technology to model and develop an optimized approach for “boosting” glass furnaces with electrical heating, including the process control system, Digital Twin technology, and automation systems.
From the beginning, Siemens has supported Glass Futures, offering expertise in the industry and in digital technology – from raw materials to finished products and from automation to IT. “With our IT/OT convergence expertise, we can provide important ideas and inspiration, and provide in-depth knowledge of lifecycle integration at both product and plant level,” says Stephen Haigh, Head of Glass at Siemens UK. Siemens provides modular automation solutions that integrate all systems into a unified structure with central data storage. These solutions allow for faster, data-driven decisions and real-time process insights, supporting the entire plant lifecycle from planning to operation.
Glass Futures uses the web-based SIMATIC PCS neo from Siemens to operate and monitor its furnace, enabling remote, multi-user engineering. The SIMATIC ET 200SP HA and Compact Field Units ensure stable field-level data, and the Siemens continuous emission monitoring systems (CEMS) track emissions. In the batch house, SCALANCE, SIWAREX, and SITRANS handle communication, weighing, and fill levels.
SIMATIC WinCC and TIA Portal provide fast visualization for glass forming, and SINAMICS drives, SIMOTICS motors, and SIPART positioners support energy-efficient, precise process control throughout the plant.