20 March 2025

FELIX - FIRST TOTAL ELECTRIFICATION IN LARGE-SCALE LUXURY GLASS PRODUCTION

The FELIX project proposed by Bormioli Luigi and Bormioli Luigi Espana SAU in the Azuqueca industrial area in Spain, aims to decarbonize the beauty glass industry with full furnace electrification. Once converted, the “F2” furnace will be the largest electric furnace in the beauty glass sector. This main intervention is supported by the use of scrap materials collected after consumers use (known as Post-Consumer Recycling glass, PCR).
This will enhance circularity, contributing to the reduction of the demand for feedstocks, including critical raw materials. The combination of these technologies will allow 56% relative greenhouse gas (GHG) emission avoidance compared to the reference scenario, which represents a very good potential to significantly reduce climate impacts in a hard-to-abate industry such as the glass sector.

The FELIX project is groundbreaking in both commercial and technological aspects thanks to its 100% electrification of the glass melting process. In fact, the main limitation of electric furnaces in the glass industry is the scale-up to large dimensions, a barrier that FELIX aims to overcome. Electrification will completely replace combustion during melting, which is the primary source of emissions in this industry. Additionally, using PCR glass, which lacks carbon content, contributes to the avoidance of CO2 emissions, making glass recycling a key decarbonization strategy. The project is expected to avoid 0.119 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent of GHG emissions over ten years of operation.

The FELIX project will offer valuable policy insights for the glass industry and support the achievement of EU Green Deal and REPowerEU targets, as in a future where Europe's electrical grid moves towards complete decarbonization, avoiding direct emissions from fossils combustion becomes even more significant. This will be possible also thanks to the experience gained by the Bormioli Group in operating smaller full-electric furnaces: this know-how plays a crucial role for the technological readiness of the FELIX Project, which will innovatively operate at larger scales.

The project positively impacts the local economy by adding value and enhancing supply chain sustainability. The glass industry is a significant factor to the regional economy, as the PCR will be supplied by local facilities, and other major players work in the same area. One of the objectives of the project is the demonstration of electrification in large scale applications, with high replicability potential for future projects. Moreover, the project will promote reskilling and the development of new know-how in operating large-scale electric furnaces, which will be further expanded and developed, contributing to workforce adaptability and creating expertise in the evolving industry.