Verescence , a global leader in luxury glass packaging for the perfume and cosmetics industry, and Fives , an international engineering group, have signed a strategic alliance to decarbonize glass production in France . The project includes replacing an existing furnace with a new hybrid oxygen-gas technology at Verescence's plant in Mers-les-Bains . It will be the world's first hybrid glass furnace for cosmetic applications.
“This innovative project is part of Verescence’s ambitious decarbonization roadmap, which includes significant investments to electrify the technologies and industrial equipment used in our plants, particularly our kilns, feeders, and curing tunnels,” says Thomas Riou , CEO of Verescence. “We are proud to lead this important project at our Mers-les-Bains factory, the headquarters of our group. For our operations in France, this marks a significant milestone, building on the actions undertaken by our teams since 2016 to reduce our CO2 emissions by 70% by 2030,” adds Hélène Marchand , Managing Director of Verescence in France.
Eco-friendly glass technology
Prium® Eco-Flex, a new hybrid furnace , will be able to produce 150 tons of glass per day. It will operate on a combination of oxyfuel and electricity, replacing up to 80% of fossil fuels with electric power. This configuration will drastically reduce carbon emissions while maintaining high-quality glass production.
The new kiln will be equipped with a HRA™ (Heat Recovery Area) system, developed by Fives, which allows heat recovery from waste gases directly in the kiln. This solution increases the kiln's energy efficiency by preheating the batch in a lowered superstructure section, resulting in further efficiency gains.
“Our hybrid furnace technology is designed to help glass manufacturers achieve ambitious environmental goals. It combines flexibility, efficiency, and lower emissions, facilitating an ecological transition without compromising glass performance or quality,” says Alexandre Brusset , Vice President of Glass at Fives.
Photo caption: Thomas Riou (Président of Verescence), Hélène Marchand (Directrice Générale France de Verescence), Alexandre Brusset (Directeur Glass chez Fives) & Hubert de La Forest Divonne (Project Manager for Low CO2 Technologies for Glass Industry Fives).
