VICAL, a Central American glass container manufacturer, has selected Fives to design and supply what the companies describe as the world’s largest all-electric furnace for container glass production at VICAL’s VICESA plant in Costa Rica.
The project is centered on Fives’ Prium® E-Melt cold-top vertical melter, which will have a production capacity of 200 metric tonnes per day and will be capable of producing both flint and green glass. The electric melting technology is intended to significantly reduce CO₂ emissions compared with conventional glass-melting systems.
The investment supports VICAL’s strategy to reduce the environmental footprint of its operations while increasing glass packaging capacity for customers across Central America, the Caribbean, the United States and Canada. The VICESA facility currently produces more than 500 million glass containers annually.
A key factor in the project is Costa Rica’s electricity mix: according to VICAL, approximately 99% of the country’s electricity comes from renewable sources, creating favorable conditions for electric glass melting. 
Beyond the furnace, Fives will supply the complete hot-end equipment, including a working-end and forehearth system.
Source: fivesgroup.com with additional information added by Glass Balkan
