World-leading container glass manufacturer O-I Glass has produced the first glass from an air-gas hybrid furnace in Veauche, France.

O-I had previously announced the investment in the hybrid-flex technology, which was supplied by Fives Group, in 2024. The company said the technology will reduce C0₂ emissions by 43% in comparison with conventional technology, with an average electricity usage of 50%. During construction, the team laid a foundation of more than 200 cubic meters of concrete. Seven hundred tonnes of metal framework were assembled over several weeks, and a smoke heat recovery system was installed to heat the combustion air.

The Heat Recovery Area (HRA) is designed to recover heat from waste gas. It enables preheating of batches in a lowered superstructure section and reduces fume temperature without the need for additional equipment such as regenerators. The reduction in emissions is aided by the installation of a new annealing arch, which allows the annealing of newly formed bottles to strengthen their resistance.

With two furnaces and seven lines, Veauche produces approximately three hundred million bottles each year. OI Glass says the facility is a role model for a local circular economy, leveraging up to 87% of cullet (waste glass) sourced from a processing plant twenty kilometres away.