Rheinenergie Converts Glass Factory from Gas to Electricity
An electricity-based heating system is being built at the glassworks in Obernkirchen that utilizes waste heat and is intended to further reduce CO₂ emissions from production.
August 13, 2026
Source: E & M powernews
The Cologne-based utility Rheinenergie is building an electricity-based heat supply system for Ardagh Glass in Lower Saxony.
Heat pumps instead of a gas system: Rheinenergie is partnering with packaging manufacturer Ardagh Glass in Obernkirchen (Lower Saxony) to implement an electricity-based heating system with a thermal output of 3.5 MW. Starting in November 2026, two heat pumps will replace the gas-based system, according to the Cologne-based energy company.
Rheinenergie’s “next energy solutions” division is implementing the project under a contracting model. The new system combines heat recovery and heat pump technology. It will utilize two heat pumps, each with a heating capacity of 911 kW, and ammonia will be used as the refrigerant, according to the company.
The new heat supply is intended to build on the site’s ongoing transformation. Ardagh Glass has been producing container glass in Obernkirchen since 2023 using a hybrid melting furnace, which, according to the company, reduces CO2 emissions from glass production. For the heat supply, waste heat and other usable heat sources are raised to the temperature required for operations using heat pumps.
“Projects like this are an important part of our strategy to grow nationwide with scalable energy solutions and to actively help shape the industrial transformation,” said Emil Issagholian, head of the Energy Services and District Heating division at Rheinenergie AG.
At the end of July, the Cologne-based company reached an agreement with the energy group EnBW to acquire its contracting business. The sale is still subject to confirmation by the relevant local government regulatory authority and approval by the relevant antitrust authority, which are expected by the beginning of 2027 at the latest. According to the company, the EnBW portfolio comprises around 200 plants. Rheinenergie would thus manage approximately 800 plants with an installed capacity of about 1,100 MW in the future.
Author: Manfred Fischer
