Verescence, a global leader in luxury glass packaging for the perfumery and cosmetics industry, and Fives, an international engineering group, have entered into a strategic partnership to decarbonise glass production in France.
The project includes replacing an existing furnace with a new hybrid oxy-gas technology at Verescence’s Mers-les-Bains site in France. It will be the world’s first glass hybrid furnace for cosmetics applications.
“This innovative project is part of Verescence’s ambitious decarbonisation roadmap, which includes significant investments to electrify the technologies and industrial equipment used in our sites, notably our furnaces, feeders and lehrs,” said Thomas Riou, CEO of Verescence.
“We are very proud to lead this major project at the Mers-les-Bains factory, the flagship site of our group. For our French operations, this marks a significant milestone, building on the actions undertaken by our teams since 2016 to reduce our CO2 emissions by 70 percent by 2030,” added Hélène Marchand, General Manager France of Verescence.
Eco-friendly glass technology
Prium® Eco-Flex, a new hybrid furnace, will be able to produce 150 tonnes of glass per day. It will run on a combination of oxy-gas and electricity, replacing up to 80 percent of fossil fuels with electrical power. This configuration will drastically reduce carbon emissions while maintaining the production of high-quality glass.
The new furnace will be equipped with an H.R.A.™ (Heat Recovery Area) system, developed by Fives, which enables the recovery of heat from waste gas directly into the furnace. This solution increases the furnace’s energy efficiency by preheating the batch in a lowered superstructure section, leading to further efficiency gains.
“Our hybrid furnace technology is designed to help glassmakers achieve ambitious environmental targets. It brings together flexibility, efficiency, and lower emissions, facilitating a green transition without compromising on performance or glass quality,” said Alexandre Brusset, Vice President – Glass at Fives.
By combining expertise, Verescence and Fives are setting a new benchmark to transform the industry through innovation and responsible growth.