Corning Incorporated, one of the world’s leading innovators in materials science, recently joined Glass Futures to support the organization in its efforts to decarbonize the glass manufacturing industry. Glass Futures brings together organizations of all sizes, from around the world, working with the ceramics, steel, paper, chemicals, glass and metal sectors who share the same challenges for reaching net zero. Given Corning’s long, pioneering history in glass and ceramics, Glass Futures was keen to have Corning join its 35 member companies in supporting its mission to deliver a sustainable future enabled by materials science.
Corning joins Glass Futures at an opportune time, with the organization set to move into its new GBP 54 million Global Centre of Excellence in March. Glass Futures will use this glass melting facility to transform current manufacturing processes through trials to help decarbonize the global glass and ceramic industries.
“It’s through this membership, and by connecting global industry with academia and our ability to pilot new solutions at scale, that we can disrupt production methods and innovate low-carbon processes in carbon heavy industries worldwide,” Glass Futures Chief Executive Richard Katz said. “Corning understands the need to integrate sustainability into the innovation process with new products and is increasingly focused on reducing embodied carbon while continuing to invest in emerging technologies. We hope our research into natural gas replacement and biofuels will support them, and our wider membership, to use low-carbon fuel options.”
In recent years, Corning has accelerated its sustainability activity, including a more aggressive focus on renewable energy, reducing waste, and designing and manufacturing products with sustainable attributes in partnership with its stakeholders.
“Corning’s in-depth knowledge of glass science and materials processing will deepen Glass Futures’ existing expertise and enhance its ability to pilot low-carbon glass solutions that could be vital to our future,” said Dr. Dawne Moffatt-Fairbanks, director, thermal and materials engineering, Corning Incorporated. “In addition, the organization’s knowledge base will support Corning’s own efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”
Glass Futures is planning on officially opening its new Centre of Excellence in the summer of 2023 and is working to fire the first open-access 30-tonne per day experimental furnace, leveraging sustainable fuel sources, in early 2024.