Italy’s glass sector charts a multi-solutions pathway to decarbonisation

According to a study by ENEA in partnership with Assovetro, published in the journal Gases, Italy’s glass sector faces a significant decarbonisation challenge but also a clear set of technical pathways to pursue. The sector emits roughly 3.7 million tonnes of CO2 annually, with about three quarters originating inside plant boundaries from furnace fuel combustion and the chemical reactions of raw materials, and the remainder linked to electricity used in production.

The ENEA–Assovetro analysis synthesises seven complementary routes for reducing these emissions: switching to low‑carbon fuels such as biogas and hydrogen; deploying carbon capture and storage (CCS); improving energy efficiency; electrifying furnaces where feasible; increasing the share of recycled glass (cullet); adopting already decarbonised raw materials; and sourcing renewable electricity. “The study examines an energy‑intensive sector through an integrated approach adapted to the national reality”, Assovetro president Marco Ravasi said, while co‑author Claudia Bassano of ENEA noted the importance of combining technological levers flexibly to reflect plant constraints and product types.

The priorities outlined by ENEA align with international evidence that no single solution will suffice. Industry and consultancy analyses show that high cullet rates are among the most effective immediate measures: using recycled glass reduces the need for soda ash and the process emissions tied to its production, and can also lower furnace energy demand. According to a McKinsey review of flat glass decarbonisation, combining high cullet content with low‑carbon fuels enabled a pilot asset to approach full decarbonisation at the plant level, illustrating the multiplicative benefit of integrating material circularity with fuel switching.

Fuel substitution is a central pivot in the roadmap. Trials and R&D across Europe are advancing both hydrogen and biofuel routes. The EU‑funded H2Glass initiative is developing furnace concepts and operational practices to permit combustion of 100% hydrogen while maintaining product quality and safety, targeting large emissions reductions in both glass and aluminium production. Parallel trials reported by industry research bodies and pilot facilities have demonstrated hydrogen‑natural gas blends, liquid biofuels and bio‑derived gases in operational kilns and furnaces, while e‑boosting and other furnace management techniques reduce real fuel demand.

Waste heat recovery and improved heat management are equally critical. Private developers and technology providers have introduced systems that convert fuel to hot process gases or capture and reuse furnace flue heat to cut melting energy by significant margins compared with traditional oxy‑fuel or air‑fuel configurations. One supplier’s OPTIMELT™ concept, for example, claims a 20–30% net fuel reduction relative to established furnace types, underlining the role of system‑level innovation in lowering both energy use and operating costs.

CCS and industrial electrification are positioned as longer‑term and higher‑cost elements of the portfolio but remain necessary to address residual emissions from chemical transformations and hard‑to‑electrify process steps. ENEA’s framework treats these as options to be combined according to site economics, infrastructure availability and product requirements. Industry groups also emphasise resource and energy efficiency across the value chain, noting that decades of incremental improvements have already halved energy intensity in some markets, reinforcing that operational practice matters as much as new fuels.

For plant owners and decarbonisation strategists, the study’s message is practical: deploy a mix of measures tailored to each facility’s technical and logistical realities, sequence investments to capture early reductions through cullet, efficiency and biofuels, and plan infrastructure and capital projects to enable hydrogen, electrification or CCS as these become economically and logistically viable. This staged, diversified approach is echoed by recent research and pilot outcomes which show that combining circular material strategies, advanced heat management and alternative fuels offers the fastest route to substantial emissions cuts while preserving product quality and competitiveness.

The ENEA–Assovetro proposal therefore frames decarbonisation as a platform of interlocking options rather than a single technological bet, recommending policy and industry action that supports increased cullet collection and quality, fuel availability and certification for biomass and hydrogen, investment in waste heat and furnace upgrades, and pilot programmes to validate CCS and hydrogen at scale. For industrial decarbonisation professionals, the study provides an operationally focused blueprint: accelerate the low‑regret measures now, align investments with evolving fuel and CO2 management infrastructure, and maintain flexibility so plants can transition as technologies mature and market conditions change.