The VOLTA pilot furnace at the AGC Barevka plant in Teplice, Czech Republic, marks a decisive milestone in the demonstration of hybrid melting for flat glass, following one full year of continuous operation.
Since its start-up in early 2025, the pilot furnace has delivered stable and consistent production, providing strong technological validation of the robustness of the hybrid concept.
Operational performance fully met design expectations, confirming energy consumption, temperature control and glass quality at the level of float glass across a wide range of cullet ratios and pull rates. These results strengthen confidence in the scalability of the concept and support its suitability for future industrial-scale deployment.
What enables these results:
- Higher energy efficiency through hybrid melting
- 50 percent share of electricity, with certified renewable sourcing
- Increased cullet use: 88 percent in standard operation (versus 40 percent previously)
What it delivers:
- 66 percent reduction in fossil fuel consumption
- 71 percent reduction in Scope 1+3 CO2 emissions vs. reference (emissions related to gas and raw materials only, according to Innovation Fund accounting)
These achievements result from the constructive collaboration between Saint-Gobain Glass and AGC Glass Europe. After one successful year of operation, VOLTA stands as a validated technological platform supporting progress toward low‑carbon flat glass production.
The Volta R&D project is funded by the Innovation Fund of the European Union.