Saint-Gobain and AGC are joining forces to build what they say will be the world’s first large-scale hybrid electric furnace for flat glass production, in a major push to slash carbon emissions from one of the construction industry’s most energy-intensive processes.
The furnace will be installed at Saint-Gobain’s flat glass plant in Avilés, Spain, replacing the existing unit. Construction is scheduled to begin in January 2027, with production expected to resume in the second half of the year.
The project, known as FurHy, will use a hybrid furnace capable of electrifying 75% of the glass-melting process. The system will run on low-carbon electricity backed by renewable energy supply agreements secured by Saint-Gobain in Spain.
The companies say the technology could cut the plant’s direct emissions by roughly half.
Once operational, the furnace is expected to:
Avoid approximately 80,000 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent emissions a year, representing about a 50% reduction compared with a conventional gas furnace.
Cut natural gas consumption by approximately 265 GWh annually, an 80% reduction versus a standard gas furnace.
Enable production of lower-carbon flat glass meeting the best existing international standards.
Help meet rising demand for more sustainable glass products across residential, commercial and infrastructure markets.
The project builds on a technological partnership between Saint-Gobain and AGC Glass Europe that began with the VOLTA project, a smaller pilot electrified furnace launched in the Czech Republic in 2023. That project demonstrated the feasibility of electrification technologies for reducing emissions from flat glass production.
The new Avilés furnace takes that technology from pilot scale to industrial deployment.
“Our technological partnership with AGC now reaches a new milestone with the deployment of the world's first large-scale hybrid electric furnace for flat glass production. This breakthrough demonstrates our ability to transform pioneering technologies into industrial reality positioning Saint-Gobain as the go-to partner for customers committed to lower-carbon solutions.
"Following the successful adoption of our very low-carbon glass ORAÉ, this project marks a major step in the decarbonization of flat glass manufacturing, supporting Saint-Gobain’s commitment to reach net zero carbon emission by 2050. The European Innovation Fund has been instrumental in making this project a reality," said Nicolas Miègeville, Chief Technology Officer, Saint-Gobain.
AGC said the project represents a further acceleration of its efforts to decarbonize glass manufacturing and reach carbon neutrality by 2050.
“To contribute to a sustainable world, AGC is committed to developing products that promote sustainable development, and to reducing the environmental impact of its production processes. Following our continued progress in decarbonization, AGC launched its first low-carbon glass product range at the end of 2022.
"The development of a hybrid design melter on AGC’s mid-size patterned glass production line in Barevka, Czech Republic was another important milestone in our Net Zero Trajectory to become carbon neutral as a company by 2050.
"This new step to deploy a large-scale hybrid furnace for flat glass production, that will be done jointly with Saint-Gobain at their flat glass plant in Avilés, Spain, represents a significant leap in electrification of flat glass melting," said Davide Cappellino, President Architectural Glass Europe & Americas, AGC.
