Daily CSR
Daily CSR

Daily CSR
Daily news about corporate social responsibility, ethics and sustainability

O-I Glass Implements Waste Heat Recovery for Sustainable Operations in France



02/21/2024


O-I Glass Implements Waste Heat Recovery for Sustainable Operations in France
In a statement O-I Glass Inc  announced its intention to implement a waste heat recovery initiative at its Veauche, France site. This initiative involves harnessing heat emitted from the glassmaking furnace to power an internal energy network, providing heating for up to 94 percent of the facility's requirements.
 
Randy Burns, Chief Sustainability and Corporate Affairs Officer for O-I Glass, expressed the company's commitment to sustainability through innovative practices such as heat recovery. This initiative aligns with O-I's broader sustainability goals, which include advancements in energy efficiency, renewable electricity adoption, and emissions reduction. By 2030, O-I aims to achieve 40 percent renewable electricity usage and decrease global energy consumption by 9 percent.
 
Funding from the French Environment and Energy Management Agency (ADEME) has facilitated the implementation of the heat recovery system. ENGIE Solutions, a strategic partner of O-I, is providing technical support for the project, leveraging its expertise in feasibility assessment, planning, and funding. ENGIE Solutions will also oversee the operation of the equipment on-site. This collaboration builds upon a larger agreement with ENGIE to supply O-I facilities across Europe with green electricity over a decade.
 
Walter Ferrer, Managing Director of O-I Glass for the South-West Europe region, highlighted the project's significance in decarbonizing the Veauche site and enhancing its competitiveness. He emphasized O-I's capacity to forge partnerships with both private and public entities to drive sustainable development initiatives.
 
Beyond the Veauche facility, O-I has already implemented similar heat recovery systems at its Reims and Vayres plants in France. In Reims, the recovered heat benefits local households, while in Vayres, it is used to pre-heat recycled glass, thereby reducing energy consumption in the manufacturing process. These initiatives underscore O-I's ongoing commitment to sustainability and innovation in its operations.
 
To know more about how O-I is advancing sustainability and energy efficiency in its global operations, click here.