Page 49 - Glass Machinery Plants & Accessories no. 3-2021

imise the chances of swiftly and Through industry engagement are reported as having the poten-
successfully decarbonizing the activities and literature reviews, tial to enable a full decarboni-
entire sector by 2050, the report the Phase 2 study identified much sation of the heat required for
privileges Biofuels, Hydrogen, interest in fuel switching within glass melting across the UK glass
100 percent electric melting and the glass sector while also under- industry before 2050. However,
Hybrid-fuel scenarios as the four scoring significant knowledge and it’s considered that to fulfil this
fuel-scenarios it recommends for technical barrier gaps that need to timescale, large scale demonstra-
investigation and development. be addressed in order for this to be tions would need to occur within
realised. The study further notes a relatively short time frame (<10
TECHNICAL OPPORTUNITIES that the UK has the industrial appe- years) to allow industry to make
Given the glass sector’s com- tite, the necessary research excel- the business cases and engage
mitment to decarbonisation, the lence and the government back- new supply chains that can bring
UK’s industrial strategy to support ing to address these challenges. As these decarbonised solutions on-
this ambition and existing combus- such, the technical developments line within 10-20 years. Here just
tion technologies research expertise and capabilities required to decar- the 15-20-year life expectancy
within the UK, there’s a significant bonise the UK glass sector repre- for glass furnaces makes these
opportunity for the country’s glass sent an important area of opportu- timescales essential if the indus-
sector supply chain to bring new nity for UK-based businesses and try is to decarbonise by 2050.
technical concepts to market, thus research organisations to become Although an economic study
becoming a world leader in the global leaders in the field. was undertaken, the high level of
decarbonisation of a heavy indus- uncertainty in fuel costs resulted
try. These same new supply chains TIMESCALES AND FINDINGS in a conclusion that any of the
and processes could also provide The study highlighted the sig- options could represent the most
knock-on benefits to such other nificant impact the economics economically feasible option in
sectors as Steel, Cement, Ceramics, of fuel switching will have upon the future. It’s stressed that this
Waste management and Energy uptake timescales. All four of the is important and is reflected in
generation. proposed solutions investigated the decarbonisation roadmap for

Estimated implementation
timelines for the various fuel
switching Options

GMP&A 3/2022 47