Page 50 - Glass Machinery Plants & Accessories no. 3-2021

ALTERNATIVE ENERGY TECHNOLOGIES
Alternative energy technologies
the glass sector, which currently carbon commitments. and 3, BEIS’ stated aim was to
shows heavy reliance upon elec- The BEIS Glass Industry identify and test the requisite pro-
trification. Decarbonisation and Energy cesses and technologies for UK
There is great concern across Efficiency Roadmap to 2050 has industries to switch to low car-
the industry that, without sig- identified 100 percent electric bon fuels while examining fund-
nificant investment now, the melting as the preferred route ing options for the consortium to
country’s ability to carry out the to decarbonisation of the indus- demonstrate the feasibility of their
required research will become try. However, findings from sub- proposed technology or approach.
difficult. This is due to the cap- sequent industrial engagement
ital-intensive nature of the glass activities have identified other STUDY SCOPE
sector, coupled with the require- technologies that can be consid- In preparation for the Phase
ment to run uninterrupted 24 ered now as genuine alternative 3 bid, Glass Futures undertook
hours a day, 365 days a year routes to decarbonisation, such a detailed review of the origi-
- which, as a process, hardly as biofuels and hydrogen - none nal glass industry decarbonisation
lends itself well to demonstra- of which were highlighted on the roadmap alongside discussions
tions of disruption. The glass original industry roadmap. The with a number of industrial and
industry has limited available Phase 2 study sought therefore to academic partners.
R&D funding, much of which build upon the original findings to These highlighted that, due to
is already committed to prod- increase understanding of those differences between manufactur-
uct development rather than to different options while exploring ing requirements of subsectors
process development. Moreover, how best to facilitate a wide-scale (including float, container and
the magnitude of the required adoption of all low-carbon fuel glass fibre), capital refurbish-
research and investment warrants scenarios across the glass sector. ment timetables and predicted
a united approach across all glass future variations in availability
industry sectors, together with BEIS INDUSTRIAL FUEL and affordability of different fuels
full government backing. SWITCHING COMPETITION across the UK (e.g. localizable
REMIT hydrogen supply; limited local
SOME BACKGROUND BEIS has stated that the aim grid capacity for electricity sup-
The UK Government has com- of the Industrial Fuel Switching ply) no single low-carbon fuel
mitted to reducing net carbon Competition is to identify and scenario is likely to be suitable for
dioxide emissions to zero by demonstrate solutions which will all glass manufacturing processes.
2050. National efforts to meet enable industry fuel-switching It was therefore agreed that the
these emissions reduction tar- from fossil fuels to those that scope of the Phase 2 study should
gets could potentially result in are less carbon-intensive. These cover the following four low-car-
conversion to a hydrogen gas include electrification, hydrogen bon fuel scenarios:
grid. Alternatively, it could see and biomass (while biomethane is • Biofuels (with the potential
localised decommissioning of the a lower carbon fuel it’s not within for a subsequent addition of car-
gas grid and a move towards the scope of this competition). bon capture utilisation and stor-
electrification and decentralised Here the Competition was split age (CCUS);
energy supply. into three phases: • Hydrogen;
It’s estimated that 90 percent Phase 1 - a market engagement and • 100 percent large-scale electric
of UK industry relies on energy assessment study into fuel melting;
supplied from the gas grid either switching in the UK; • Hybrid fuel scenarios (i.e. com-
directly for industrial processes Phase 2 - a feasibility study into fuel binations of the above, with or
or indirectly in day-to-day busi- switching solutions; without natural gas)
ness. Whilst the glass sector has Phase 3 – a demonstration of fund- Despite a strong argument
made progress by halving emis- ing for these solutions. to add biomethane to this list,
sions in the last 50 years and In Phase 1, the market engage- the fuel was considered beyond
its products contribute to energy ment and assessment study con- scope, thus remaining uninvesti-
savings in other sectors (includ- ducted by Element Energy con- gated in the study.
ing glazing and insulation, wind sidered the viable energy sources
turbines and aerospace), the for industrial fuel switching, the THE RESEARCH APPROACH
need remains to urgently accel- industrial processes compatible Led by Glass Futures and pro-
erate efforts to increase energy with fuel switching and potential ject managed by Glass Technology
efficiency whilst reducing CO2 solutions for the achievement of Services Ltd. (GTS), the Phase 2
emissions to meet the UK’s 2050 such switches. As for Phases 2 study consisted of five work pack-

48 GMP&A 3/2022