Continuous high-temperature heat
Furnaces and kilns require reliable heat at temperatures that make complete decarbonisation technically demanding.
GLASS & CERAMICS
Rethinking heat withoutcompromising the process.
Glass and ceramics depend on continuous, high-temperature processes where energy, product quality and asset performance are tightly connected. We help producers evaluate credible pathways from fossil-fired heat toward lower-carbon production.
Discuss your transitionStrategy, technology and investment planning for glass and ceramics producers.
THE CHALLENGE
Change the energy system.Protect the process.
Melting and firing processes can operate continuously for years under tightly controlled conditions. Changing how that heat is generated affects much more than energy consumption.
Temperature profiles, furnace design, product chemistry, throughput and quality can all constrain the technologies available.
Product quality
Changes in combustion, atmosphere or furnace conditions can directly affect the properties of the finished product.
Long furnace campaigns
Major furnaces can operate continuously for many years, creating limited windows for fundamental technology changes.
Energy infrastructure
Large-scale electrification or hydrogen adoption can require substantial new infrastructure beyond the production asset itself.
UNDERSTANDING THE BASELINE
Heat dominates,but it is not the whole story.
The emissions profile varies considerably between container glass, flat glass, speciality glass and ceramic production.
Across the sector, however, high-temperature energy demand typically remains the defining transition challenge.
The exact balance depends on product, furnace technology, fuel mix, cullet or recycled material use and plant configuration.
~70–80%
Furnace & kiln energy
Fossil fuels used for melting, firing and other high-temperature processes.
~10–20%
Process & raw materials
Emissions associated with carbonate decomposition and other production chemistry.
~5–15%
Electricity & auxiliary systems
Forming, grinding, material handling, compressed air and wider plant operations.
DECARBONISATION PATHWAYS
Transform the heat systemone lever at a time.
The pathway can combine efficiency, recycled material, electrification, hybrid furnaces and alternative fuels — with different combinations appropriate for different products and sites.
01
Efficiency
Reduce the heat requirement.
Improve furnace performance and recover energy before considering larger changes to the energy system.
TYPICAL MEASURES
- Furnace optimisation
- Improved insulation
- Waste heat recovery
- Combustion optimisation
- Process control
02
Recycled Material
Reduce the energy intensity of production.
Increase suitable recycled input where product requirements and material availability allow, reducing both energy demand and raw-material emissions.
TYPICAL MEASURES
- Increased cullet use
- Ceramic material recovery
- Material sorting
- Batch optimisation
- Circular feedstocks
03
Electrification
Move heat toward electricity.
Evaluate electric melting and firing technologies where capacity, product requirements and electrical infrastructure support deployment.
TYPICAL MEASURES
- Electric boosting
- Full-electric melting
- Electric kilns
- Resistance heating
- Induction and emerging systems
04
Hybrid Systems
Combine technologies.
Use electrical energy alongside combustion to reduce fossil demand while preserving flexibility, throughput and furnace performance.
TYPICAL MEASURES
- Hybrid glass furnaces
- Electric boosting
- Flexible fuel systems
- Progressive electrical conversion
05
Alternative Fuels
Address the heat that remains.
Assess hydrogen, biomethane and other lower-carbon fuels for applications where direct electrification remains constrained.
TYPICAL MEASURES
- Hydrogen
- Biomethane
- Renewable fuels
- Fuel blending
- Combustion-system conversion
CHOOSING THE HEAT SYSTEM
Electric, hybrid or fuel-based?The answer depends on the process.
Different production environments create fundamentally different technology cases. The strongest pathway is determined by process requirements, infrastructure, economics and the timing of the next furnace investment.
| Electric | Hybrid | Hydrogen | Biomethane | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Technology maturity | High–Developing | High | Developing | High |
| Emissions potential | Very high | High | Very high* | High* |
| Infrastructure need | Grid | Grid + fuel | H₂ supply | Fuel supply |
| Energy exposure | Electricity | Electricity + fuel | Hydrogen | Biomethane |
| Retrofit potential | Limited–Moderate | Moderate–High | Moderate | High |
| Best fit | New / selected furnaces | Transition applications | Hard-to-electrify heat | Existing combustion assets |
*Dependent on how the energy carrier is produced and supplied.
PATHWAY LOGIC
Optimise
Reduce energy demand within the existing process.
Increase Recycled Input
Lower melting or firing requirements where material constraints allow.
Electrify
Move suitable heat demand toward low-carbon electricity.
Hybridise
Combine electricity and fuels where complete electrification is not yet practical.
Address Residual Heat
Deploy lower-carbon fuels where combustion remains necessary.
HOW WE HELP
Start with the process.Then change the energy.
- 01
UNDERSTAND
Define the process requirements.
Establish temperature, throughput, product-quality, energy and operational requirements across the production system.
- Process profile
- Energy baseline
- Asset constraints
- 02
SCREEN
Identify credible technologies.
Evaluate electric, hybrid and alternative-fuel technologies against the requirements of each process and asset.
- Technology shortlist
- Feasibility assessment
- Infrastructure requirements
- 03
MODEL
Test the economics.
Compare CAPEX, operating costs and energy exposure across alternative technology and market scenarios.
- Techno-economic model
- Energy scenarios
- Break-even analysis
- 04
SEQUENCE
Align with the furnace cycle.
Translate the preferred pathway into investments aligned with furnace rebuilds, infrastructure and technology readiness.
- Transition pathway
- Investment sequence
- Decision gates
TIMING THE TRANSITION
The furnace rebuildis a strategic decision point.
High-temperature production assets are not replaced every few years. Once a major furnace campaign begins, the underlying technology can remain in place for a decade or longer.
That makes each rebuild a rare opportunity to change the production system.
- 2027
Current furnace optimisation
ACTION
- Efficiency measures
- Electric boosting
- Monitoring and controls
- 2029
Infrastructure preparation
ACTION
- Grid-capacity application
- Electrical upgrades
- Alternative-fuel feasibility
- 2032
Furnace rebuild
DECISION
- Hybrid furnace
- High-electric configuration
- Conventional replacement
- 2035
Energy system develops
TRIGGER
- Electricity economics
- Hydrogen availability
- Technology performance
- 2042
Next major asset window
OUTCOME
- Potential full transition to near-zero-carbon heat
The objective is to improve today's asset without making tomorrow's preferred technology harder to deploy.
DELIVERABLES
A transition pathwaybuilt around the furnace.
Process & Energy Baseline
A structured view of energy demand, emissions, production requirements and major thermal assets.
Technology Screening
Assessment of electric, hybrid and alternative-fuel technologies against process and product requirements.
Techno-Economic Model
Comparison of capital requirements, operating costs and energy exposure across competing technologies.
Infrastructure Assessment
Grid, electrical, hydrogen, fuel and site requirements needed to enable future technology pathways.
Furnace Transition Strategy
A preferred technology direction aligned with furnace campaigns, product requirements and future uncertainty.
Investment Roadmap
A phased programme connecting near-term actions, infrastructure preparation and major furnace investment decisions.
GLASS & CERAMICS IN PRACTICE
Hydrogen or electrification?Choosing a pathway for high-temperature heat.
Terravia evaluated alternative furnace pathways for a European glass producer approaching a major asset replacement.
The analysis compared electric, hybrid and hydrogen-based configurations across process performance, infrastructure requirements and future energy economics.
- Primary technology pathways
- 2
- Operating scenarios
- 12
- Critical variables modelled
- 7
- Recommended conversion window
- 2032
WORK DELIVERED
- Furnace energy baseline
- Technology feasibility assessment
- Electric and hydrogen scenarios
- CAPEX & OPEX modelling
- Grid and fuel infrastructure analysis
- Break-even modelling
- Furnace transition recommendation
HOW WE SUPPORT THE SECTOR
From technology choiceto investment timing.
Decarbonisation Strategy
Define how furnace, material, energy and operational interventions combine into a credible long-term transition pathway.
Explore Decarbonisation StrategyTechnology & Economics
Compare electric, hybrid and alternative-fuel technologies across technical performance, economics and uncertainty.
Explore Technology & EconomicsInvestment Roadmaps
Align furnace conversions, infrastructure investments and enabling actions with asset cycles and capital priorities.
Explore Investment RoadmapsOTHER INDUSTRIES
Explore our work acrosshard-to-abate sectors.
Cement & Lime
Process emissions, high-temperature kilns and the role of materials, alternative fuels and carbon capture.
Explore Cement & LimeChemicals
Complex transitions spanning process energy, hydrogen, feedstocks and carbon management.
Explore ChemicalsMetals
Major production-route, energy-system and asset transformations across capital-intensive operations.
Explore MetalsSTART A CONVERSATION
Plan the next generation of industrial heat.
Whether you are approaching a furnace rebuild, comparing electrification with alternative fuels or preparing the infrastructure for a future transition, Terravia can help establish which pathway makes sense — and when to commit.
Talk to our team