In a groundbreaking initiative to revolutionize the glass manufacturing industry, the Glass Futures facility in St Helens, UK, is poised to lead the way in emission reductions with the invaluable support of Siemens technology.
The ambitious £54 million research and development project is geared towards modeling and developing an optimized approach for enhancing glass furnaces through electrical heating.
This innovative approach, endorsed by industry authority British Glass, is projected to slash UK emissions from glass manufacturing by a substantial 56%. The facility, scheduled to achieve full operational capacity by late 2024 with the ability to produce an impressive 30 tonnes of glass per day, stands out as the pioneer in adopting Siemens’ cutting-edge digital control system, PCS Neo. This advanced system will serve to unify and manage all plant operations at Glass Futures, setting a new benchmark in operational efficiency.
George Myers, the esteemed control systems engineer at Glass Futures, emphasized the critical importance of decarbonizing the manufacturing process in response to the escalating global demand for glass. The utilization of electric boosting and hydrogen for glass melting presents a promising avenue towards achieving sustainability goals. The aspiration at St Helens is not only to develop a solution applicable to large-scale manufacturers but also to serve as a beacon for the adoption of more efficient furnaces worldwide.
The strategic partnership with Siemens is pivotal in enabling this vision to materialize. The implementation of PCS Neo will empower stakeholders to monitor the entire facility seamlessly from a centralized communication platform, facilitating real-time insights and knowledge sharing across global boundaries. Stephen Haigh, head of glass industry UK & Ireland at Siemens, underscored the significance of simplifying operations and data analytics through PCS Neo, thereby catalyzing the realization of Glass Futures’ ambitious objectives.
By streamlining data collection and operational processes, PCS Neo is poised to play a transformative role in not only the St Helens project but also in future endeavors within the glass manufacturing sector worldwide. The flexibility it offers in terms of workforce deployment and global engagement underscores its potential to drive innovation and learning on a global scale.
The collaborative efforts between Glass Futures and Siemens exemplify a shared commitment to sustainability, innovation, and excellence in the manufacturing landscape. As the project continues to progress towards its completion in 2024, the industry eagerly anticipates the transformative impact it will have on shaping the future of glass manufacturing practices worldwide.
Source:Simens with additional information added by GlassBalkan
