With the Eco2Furnace project, Wiegand-Glas is taking a decisive step towards even more climate-friendly glass production. At the Steinbach am Wald glassworks, Germany’s first hybrid melting furnace will be built, capable of producing up to 420 tonnes of green glass per day with approximately 90 percent recycled glass content, a technological innovation with the potential to sustainably transform the entire glass industry.
Supported by significant federal and state funding under the Federal Fund for Industry and Climate Action program (Bundesförderung Industrie und Klimaschutz (BIK), the new hybrid melting furnace 15W4 will be realised using Oxy-Fuel technology and up to 70 percent electric power input. Wiegand-Glas’ goal is to avoid around 17,400 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually, making a substantial contribution to the decarbonisation of the energy-intensive glass industry.
The pilot furnace will, for the first time in Europe, combine a melting capacity of over 400 tonnes per day with a recycled glass content of up to 90 percent. This maximises the recycling potential, a crucial step toward advancing the circular economy in glass production.
“This hybrid melting furnace is a decisive step toward decarbonising container glass production. The public funding emphasises the central importance of innovative technologies for a climate-friendly industry,” said Nikolaus Wiegand, owner and CEO of Wiegand-Glas.
The project, running from December 1, 2025, to June 30, 2029, is not only a technological milestone for the company, but also a strategic step into the future. With Eco2Furnace, Wiegand-Glas aims to gain first-hand practical experience to subsequently implement further hybrid and fully electric melting furnaces across the company group, thereby establishing a leading role in the climate-friendly production of glass packaging for food and beverages.