In a significant boost to the Turkish and UK sectors as well as the wider international glass communities committed to decarbonisation, Şişecam has become a strategic member of the research and technology membership organisation Glass Futures.
As the only global company operating in all core areas of glass manufacture, Şişecam joins Glass Futures’ collaborative membership of international flat glass, hollow glass and fibre glass producers working alongside major brands, technology suppliers, associations, academia and leading users of glass towards the common goal of achieving sustainable and zero carbon glass production.
Görkem Elverici commented: “We are proud to become a strategic member of Glass Futures. The collaborative technologies we will develop together will further enhance our environmentally friendly and sustainable production capabilities. These collective efforts will serve as a driving force in achieving our 2050 carbon-neutral commitment.”
In partnership with the worldwide glass industry, Glass Futures is delivering the Global Centre of Glass Excellence in St Helens, UK, the world’s first openly accessible, commercially available and unique glass melting facility for R&D, innovation and training. With capacity to produce the equivalent of 60,000 wine bottles and 4km of flat glass daily, the 15,000 sqm plant features trailblazing technology including an experimental 30 tpd pilot furnace, cold end inspection, lehr and roll plate line and a revolutionary IS machine.
“As one of the world’s leading producers of glass packaging, flat glass and glassware, we look forward to welcoming Şişecam to Glass Futures’ industrial scale pilot plant where key industry stakeholders will experiment with alternative low carbon fuels,” enthused Justin Kelly, “Şişecam’s strategic membership provides a significant boost to the UK industry by means of overseas R&D investment, as well as advancing the common sustainability and decarbonisation goals of Glass Futures’ wider international membership”.
Ahead of the furnace going live this spring, 24/7 activity at the Global Centre of Glass Excellence alongside extensive research projects and external trials with industrial partners is already enabling Glass Futures to lead the way with groundbreaking developments in fields such as biofuels, hydrogen, carbon capture, alternative raw materials and technologies around supporting and enabling circularity.
Jill Morris CMG, British Ambassador to Türkiye, added: “I am very happy to see that Şişecam, one of the world’s largest glass manufacturers, is becoming a strategic member of research and technology initiative Glass Futures. Building on our shared knowledge, innovation, and determination and uniting our efforts through joint initiatives such as these, we can drive forward sustainable solutions that will benefit future generations and ensure a resilient planet for all”.
About Şişecam:
Şişecam is a story of progress…
Founded in 1935 by İş Bankası with the vision and signature of Mustafa Kemal Atatürk, Şişecam was established to build Türkiye’s glass industry. Over the decades, Şişecam has grown from a local initiative into a global player in glass and chemicals.
As the only global company operating in all core areas of glass production, Şişecam is the global leader in glassware and chromium chemicals, among the top five producers in flat glass and glass packaging, and one of the top two producers of soda ash worldwide.
Şişecam operates across four continents and 14 countries, including Türkiye, Germany, Italy, Bulgaria, Romania, Slovakia, Hungary, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Russia, Georgia, Ukraine, Egypt, India, and the United States. Şişecam plays a pioneering role in flat glass, glassware, glass packaging, chemicals, auto glass, glass fiber, mining, energy, and recycling industries. By placing innovation and technology at the core of its operations, Şişecam delivers its products to customers in over 150 countries through its robust supply chain.
Şişecam makes a meaningful difference in its industries with 90 years of expertise, a skilled workforce, and the use of smart technologies. Supported by more than 24,000 employees, Şişecam is steadily advancing toward its goal of becoming one of the top three global producers in its core industries.
With its CareForNext strategy, Şişecam works to ensure the sustainability of the glass and chemicals industries from the perspectives of protecting the planet, empowering communities, and transforming lives in line with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
Şişecam is pursuing a better future through technology and innovation and continues its story of progress together with its entire ecosystem.
Learn more: www.sisecam.com.tr
About Glass Futures:
A sustainable future enabled by glass…
A not-for-profit membership organisation, Glass Futures connects the global glass industry and academia to deliver R&D and innovation, ensuring glass making’s future is built on high value and fully sustainable, zero- carbon products.
In collaboration with the worldwide glass industry, Glass Futures has built the world’s first openly accessible, commercially available, multi-disciplinary glass melting facility, The Global Centre of Excellence in St Helens, UK with provision for research and development trials to decarbonise the international glass and foundation industries.
The 165,000 sq ft state-of-the-art facility is capable of producing up to 30 tonnes of glass per day in a purposefully designed research and development furnace. It’s collaborative network of glass manufacturers, suppliers, researchers, and industry leaders come together to experiment with different energy sources, raw materials and technologies to demonstrate solutions leading to sustainable energy usage in the glass-making process.
Learn more: www.glass-futures.org
