Wiegand-Glas Invests in a Hybrid Melting Tank

July 23, 2026

Steinbach am Wald. With the “Eco2Furnace” project, Wiegand-Glas is beginning construction of Germany’s first hybrid melting tank for container glass production. The project is supported under the Federal Funding Program for Industry and Climate Protection (BIK), for which funding approval has now been received.

The new facility is expected to produce up to 420 metric tons of green glass per day, with recycled glass accounting for approximately 90 percent of the feedstock. The melting furnace combines oxy-fuel technology with up to 70 percent electricity. This is expected to reduce CO₂ emissions by approximately 17,400 metric tons annually.

The project will run through June 2029 and is expected to provide important insights for the deployment of additional hybrid and fully electric melting furnaces. Managing Partner Nikolaus Wiegand emphasizes that the new hybrid melting furnace represents a decisive step toward decarbonizing container glass production.

This development aligns with discussions with companies and assessments by the Glas 2.0 network. The trend is moving toward increasingly electrified solutions. However, this must be done gradually, as there are still technological and structural challenges to achieving fully sustainable and emission-free glass production.

You can find the company’s news article on the project here.