Ardagh Glass Packaging-Europe (AGP-Europe) is introducing a new electricity-powered heat supply system at its Obernkirchen glass packaging facility in Germany, in partnership with RheinEnergie. The project is designed to improve energy efficiency and further reduce the plant’s carbon emissions.
The new system will combine two ammonia heat pumps with a hot-water system and waste-heat recovery infrastructure, providing approximately 3.5 MW of thermal output. Construction and installation are already underway, with the system scheduled to become fully operational in November 2026.
The project represents a significant change in how the facility supplies process heat. Previously, the plant relied on steam generated from hot flue gases from a conventional glass furnace. Following the introduction of Ardagh’s NextGen Furnace, the former gas-based heat supply will be replaced by an electrically powered heat-pump solution.
A key component is the recovery of waste heat from four annealing lehrs. Warm process air will be captured and redirected towards the plant’s packing area, increasing the overall utilisation of available thermal energy. 
According to Andreas Kehne, Plant Director at AGP-Obernkirchen, the investment supports the company’s ambition to make the facility more sustainable. Together with the NextGen Furnace, the heat-pump system represents another step toward lower-carbon glass bottle production and reduced reliance on fossil fuels.
Source: AGP-Europe with additional information added by Glass Balkan
