German environment ministry launches project to decarbonise glass industry

The Federal Environment Ministry in Germany (BMU) is funding two projects researching alternatives to fossil fuel use in the glass industry. Glass manufacturer Schott, based in Mainz, will receive around 4.5 million euros in total as part of the BMU’s Decarbonisation in Industry programme, which aims to reduce emissions in energy-intensive industries through the use of innovative technologies. Schott will be developing new glass melting processes and special glasses for technical applications. “Climate protection is a particular challenge for energy-intensive sectors such as the glass industry,” federal environment minister Svenja Schulze said in a press release. “That is why the Federal Environment Ministry supports industry on its way to greenhouse gas neutrality. For the glass industry, it is a matter of electrifying its processes as far as possible and thus moving away from fossil energies.”

In its pursuit of climate-neutrality by 2045, Germany has begun to extend the energy transition to its famed heavy industry. Sectors such as steel, cement and chemicals are some of the Energiewende's toughest nuts to crack, because deep emission reductions can't be achieved simply by replacing fossil fuels with renewable power. Instead, entirely new production methods are required.