Coriolis Seminar - Electrification in the Materials Industry

Decarbonizing flat glass production is one of the key challenges facing the glass industry. While increasing the use of recycled glass and improving energy efficiency can significantly reduce CO₂ emissions, achieving deep decarbonization ultimately requires a transformation of the melting process itself.

Among the most promising pathways, electrification offers the potential to drastically lower emissions when coupled with low-carbon electricity. However, replacing fossil-fuel combustion with electricity is far from straightforward. Electric melting fundamentally changes the way energy is transferred to the glass bath, affecting temperature distribution, fluid flow, refining efficiency, furnace design, and ultimately product quality. Scaling these technologies from laboratory concepts to industrial production therefore requires addressing a wide range of scientific and engineering challenges.

This presentation will draw on Saint-Gobain Glass's experience in developing low-carbon glass manufacturing technologies. It will describe the journey from fundamental understanding and laboratory experimentation to pilot-scale demonstrations, with a particular focus on Volta, a hybrid melting furnace combining electrification and optimized combustion. Operational results highlight both the opportunities and the remaining challenges associated with large-scale deployment within FurHy project.

Beyond the technical aspects, the presentation will also discuss the broader conditions required for successful industrial electrification, including access to affordable low-carbon electricity, industrial competitiveness, and regulatory support.

Through the lens of glass melting electrification, this talk will illustrate how science, engineering, industry, and public policy must converge to deliver meaningful industrial decarbonization.

Coriolis seminars are organized by the Energy For Climate (E4C) Interdisciplinary Center (IP Paris) and the student association NEXT. Seminars in the "Energy : Research and Innovation" cycle are given in English. The scientific level of Coriolis seminar is that of a generalist conference, without excessive technicality. Presentation are 45 minutes long, followed by discussions with the speaker.