March 16, 2023
(press release)
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Air Liquide will implement for Verallia, the European leader and the world’s third largest producer of glass packaging for beverages and food products, a customized solution allowing to reduce CO2 emissions and energy consumption. The Group is thus mobilizing its innovation capabilities and its know-how to accompany the conversion of Verallia’s plant in Pescia, Italy, from a traditional combustion process to an optimized oxycombustion on the occasion of the construction of a new furnace on the site. The solution provided by Air Liquide combines the supply of oxygen and the reuse of the heat available from the glass production process. In the framework of a long-term contract, the Group will build and operate for Verallia a new generation onsite oxygen production unit in Pescia, Italy. The oxygen produced by this unit will replace the air usually injected into the furnace, thereby allowing to melt the glass by oxycombustion and to improve the efficiency of the process. In addition, Air Liquide will supply its HeatOxTM proprietary technology to recover the heat emitted by the glass furnace in order to further reduce the amount of energy needed to produce glass. The global solution provided by Air Liquide will very significantly contribute to the reduction by 18% of the CO2 emissions (scope 1 and 2) that Verallia targets for its glass furnace in Pescia. In addition, the new generation onsite oxygen production unit to be built and operated by Air Liquide will be equipped with a unique cryogenic process and will be 10% more energy efficient than the previous generation. Producing oxygen onsite also avoids its transport in liquid form by trucks. Matthieu Giard, Vice President and Executive Committee Member of the Air Liquide Group, supervising notably the Industrial Merchant business line: "This partnership will allow Verallia to reduce both the energy consumption and environmental footprint of its glass production in Pescia. Leveraging our deep knowledge of our clients’ production processes, it illustrates our ability to combine several innovations so as to develop tailor-made solutions with them. This collaboration is in line with our ADVANCE strategic plan, which aims to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050 while supporting our customers in their decarbonization process."
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