Orora Marks One Year of Operation for Oxyfuel Glass Furnace

Orora, leading manufacturer of sustainable packaging for the beverage industry, is marking the first 12 months of operation of its high efficiency G3 oxyfuel glass furnace. 

Located at Orora’s South Australian glass manufacturing site at Gawler, the innovative furnace is delivering significant reductions in greenhouse gas emissions including carbon dioxide (CO₂) and nitrogen oxide (NOₓ) emissions and reinforcing the company’s long term commitment to lower emissions manufacturing.
 

The $130 million rebuild and upgrade of the Gawler G3 furnace, including a $12.5 million Australian Government grant under the Modern Manufacturing initiative, has reduced natural gas consumption by 32 per cent, eliminating more than 13,000 tonnes per annum of carbon dioxide CO₂ emissions, while nitrogen oxides NOₓ emissions have fallen by more than 70 per cent compared with the previous recuperative furnace.

The G3 furnace represents a step change in how glass is manufactured in Australia. Achieving a reduction of more than 70 per cent in NOₓ emissions and cutting over 13,000 tonnes of CO₂ in the first year alone, demonstrates that investment in advanced technology can deliver measurable environmental outcomes while continuing to meet the needs of our customers.” - Greg Savage, Senior Vice President, Orora Glass Asia Pacific

The G3 furnace replaces a traditional air fuel design with oxyfuel melting, supported by onsite oxygen generation. By removing nitrogen from the combustion process, the furnace operates at higher thermal efficiency, directly reducing fuel use and associated emissions.

Performance of the furnace has been further enhanced by Orora’s onsite glass beneficiation plant, which has enabled a substantial increase in recycled glass (or cullet), usage. The beneficiation plant can process up to 150,000 tonnes of glass each year – which is equivalent to approximately 330 million wine bottles or 750 million beer bottles.

The Gawler furnace now produces more than 475 tonnes of glass per day, making it Australia’s largest glass furnace and demonstrating that emissions reduction and industrial scale can progress together.

We are proud of what has been achieved in the first year, but this is only the beginning. Our focus remains on continuous improvement and investing in technologies that deliver lasting value for our customers, our communities and the environment.”

To read more please visit ororagroup.com