Orora Limited has marked the first year of operation for its high-efficiency G3 oxyfuel glass furnace at its manufacturing facility in Gawler, highlighting strong environmental and operational results after the AUD 130 million rebuild and upgrade.

Supported by a AUD 12.5 million grant from the Australian Government under the Modern Manufacturing Initiative, the new furnace has significantly improved energy performance. Since entering operation, it has reduced natural gas consumption by 32%, cutting more than 13,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year. Nitrogen oxide emissions have also fallen by over 70% compared with the previous recuperative furnace.

The G3 furnace replaces a traditional air-fuel design with oxyfuel melting technology and on-site oxygen generation. By removing nitrogen from the combustion process, the furnace operates at higher thermal efficiency, reducing fuel use and lowering emissions. The upgraded system also nearly doubles electric boosting capacity, enabling greater use of electrical energy in the melting process.

Performance has been further strengthened by Orora’s glass beneficiation plant, which can process up to 150,000 tonnes of recycled glass annually. Increased cullet use has helped raise recycled content levels, sometimes reaching as high as 90%.

Producing more than 475 tonnes of glass daily, the Gawler furnace is now the largest in Australia and a key part of Orora’s long-term sustainability strategy.