Industrial energy use and decarbonisation in the glass sector: A UK perspective

Paul Griffin; Geoffrey Hammond; Russell McKenna

doi:10.1016/j.adapen.2021.100037

Industrial energy use and decarbonisation in the glass sector: A UK perspective

Paul Griffin, Geoffrey Hammond, Russell McKenna

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

43 Citations (SciVal)

Abstract

The potential for reducing industrial energy demand and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the UK glass sector has been evaluated, although the lessons learned are applicable across much of the industrialised world. It encompasses a range of product outputs, including flat glass (for glazing in the construction and automotive industries), container glass (bottles and jars), domestic glassware, fibreglass, and scientific hollow glass. Glass processing is a moderately energy-intensive industrial sector, and its GHG emissions are relatively low (~3% of those emanating from UK industry as a whole). This technology assessment was conducted within the context of the historical development of the glass sector, as well as its contemporary industrial structure. Currently available technologies will lead to short-term energy and GHG emissions savings in the sector, but the prospects for the commercial exploitation of innovative technologies by mid-21st century is speculative. Glass is potentially 100% recyclable, and could therefore contribute to UK ‘circular economy’ or resource efficiency aspirations. Finally, a set of low-carbon UK technology roadmaps for the glass sector out to 2050 has been developed and evaluated, based on various alternative scenarios and the techno-economic characterisation of improvement potentials. These roadmaps help identify the steps needed to be undertaken by industrialists, policy makers and other stakeholders in order to facilitate decarbonisation of the UK glass sector.

Original language	English
Article number	100037
Number of pages	14
Journal	Advances in Applied Energy
Volume	3
Early online date	29 May 2021
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adapen.2021.100037
Publication status	Published - 25 Aug 2021

Funding

The work reported forms part of a programme of research at the University of Bath on industrial decarbonisation supported by a series of UK research grants and contracts awarded by various bodies associated with the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Energy Programme for which the second author (GPH) was the funding holder. This programme is a cross-council initiative led by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), and contributed to by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC), the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC), the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) and Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC). The research grants associated with industrial energy demand and GHG emissions reduction originally formed a part of the ‘core’ research programme of the UK Energy Research Centre (UKERC); Phase 2, 2009-2014 [under Grant NE/G007748/1]. The first author (PWG) undertook his contributions to the present work as part of a UKERC flexible funding project entitled ‘Industrial Energy Use from a Bottom-up Perspective’ [for which the second author (GPH) was the Principal Investigator]. In parallel, the third author (RCMcK) held a UKERC Interdisciplinary Research Studentship. The second author (GPH) continued to work in the field of industrial decarbonisation supported by the EPSRC ‘End Use Energy Demand’ (EUED) Programme, as part of the Centre for Industrial Energy, Materials and Products (CIE-MAP) [under Grant EP/N022645/1], as one of its Co-Directors. This submission reflects an academic study originally funded via the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Energy Programme (see the Acknowledgements section). UKRI is a non-departmental public body [sponsored by the UK Government's Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS)] responsible for supporting research and knowledge exchange at UK higher education institutions, as well as the UK's innovation agency (Innovate UK). The Corresponding Author (GPH) continued to work in the field of industrial decarbonisation supported by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) ‘End Use Energy Demand’ (EUED) Programme, as part of the Centre for Industrial Energy, Materials and Products (CIE_MAP). He was one of the CIE-MAP Co-Directors. The co-authors are therefore not aware of any actual or potential conflict of interest including any financial, personal or other relationships with other people or organizations within three years of beginning the submitted work that could inappropriately influence, or be perceived to influence, their work.

Keywords

Glass sector
Greenhouse gas emissions
Decarbonisation options
Circular thinking
Technology roadmaps or transition pathways
United Kingdom

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1016/j.adapen.2021.100037Licence: CC BY-NC-ND

Cite this

@article{8f4a3ed058b645e8954862010e12ae2f,

title = "Industrial energy use and decarbonisation in the glass sector: A UK perspective",

abstract = "The potential for reducing industrial energy demand and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the UK glass sector has been evaluated, although the lessons learned are applicable across much of the industrialised world. It encompasses a range of product outputs, including flat glass (for glazing in the construction and automotive industries), container glass (bottles and jars), domestic glassware, fibreglass, and scientific hollow glass. Glass processing is a moderately energy-intensive industrial sector, and its GHG emissions are relatively low (~3% of those emanating from UK industry as a whole). This technology assessment was conducted within the context of the historical development of the glass sector, as well as its contemporary industrial structure. Currently available technologies will lead to short-term energy and GHG emissions savings in the sector, but the prospects for the commercial exploitation of innovative technologies by mid-21st century is speculative. Glass is potentially 100% recyclable, and could therefore contribute to UK {\textquoteleft}circular economy{\textquoteright} or resource efficiency aspirations. Finally, a set of low-carbon UK technology roadmaps for the glass sector out to 2050 has been developed and evaluated, based on various alternative scenarios and the techno-economic characterisation of improvement potentials. These roadmaps help identify the steps needed to be undertaken by industrialists, policy makers and other stakeholders in order to facilitate decarbonisation of the UK glass sector.",

keywords = "Glass sector, Greenhouse gas emissions, Decarbonisation options, Circular thinking, Technology roadmaps or transition pathways, United Kingdom",

author = "Paul Griffin and Geoffrey Hammond and Russell McKenna",

year = "2021",

month = aug,

day = "25",

doi = "10.1016/j.adapen.2021.100037",

language = "English",

volume = "3",

journal = "Advances in Applied Energy",

publisher = "Elsevier",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Industrial energy use and decarbonisation in the glass sector

T2 - A UK perspective

AU - Griffin, Paul

AU - Hammond, Geoffrey

AU - McKenna, Russell

PY - 2021/8/25

Y1 - 2021/8/25

N2 - The potential for reducing industrial energy demand and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the UK glass sector has been evaluated, although the lessons learned are applicable across much of the industrialised world. It encompasses a range of product outputs, including flat glass (for glazing in the construction and automotive industries), container glass (bottles and jars), domestic glassware, fibreglass, and scientific hollow glass. Glass processing is a moderately energy-intensive industrial sector, and its GHG emissions are relatively low (~3% of those emanating from UK industry as a whole). This technology assessment was conducted within the context of the historical development of the glass sector, as well as its contemporary industrial structure. Currently available technologies will lead to short-term energy and GHG emissions savings in the sector, but the prospects for the commercial exploitation of innovative technologies by mid-21st century is speculative. Glass is potentially 100% recyclable, and could therefore contribute to UK ‘circular economy’ or resource efficiency aspirations. Finally, a set of low-carbon UK technology roadmaps for the glass sector out to 2050 has been developed and evaluated, based on various alternative scenarios and the techno-economic characterisation of improvement potentials. These roadmaps help identify the steps needed to be undertaken by industrialists, policy makers and other stakeholders in order to facilitate decarbonisation of the UK glass sector.

AB - The potential for reducing industrial energy demand and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the UK glass sector has been evaluated, although the lessons learned are applicable across much of the industrialised world. It encompasses a range of product outputs, including flat glass (for glazing in the construction and automotive industries), container glass (bottles and jars), domestic glassware, fibreglass, and scientific hollow glass. Glass processing is a moderately energy-intensive industrial sector, and its GHG emissions are relatively low (~3% of those emanating from UK industry as a whole). This technology assessment was conducted within the context of the historical development of the glass sector, as well as its contemporary industrial structure. Currently available technologies will lead to short-term energy and GHG emissions savings in the sector, but the prospects for the commercial exploitation of innovative technologies by mid-21st century is speculative. Glass is potentially 100% recyclable, and could therefore contribute to UK ‘circular economy’ or resource efficiency aspirations. Finally, a set of low-carbon UK technology roadmaps for the glass sector out to 2050 has been developed and evaluated, based on various alternative scenarios and the techno-economic characterisation of improvement potentials. These roadmaps help identify the steps needed to be undertaken by industrialists, policy makers and other stakeholders in order to facilitate decarbonisation of the UK glass sector.

KW - Glass sector

KW - Greenhouse gas emissions

KW - Decarbonisation options

KW - Circular thinking

KW - Technology roadmaps or transition pathways

KW - United Kingdom

U2 - 10.1016/j.adapen.2021.100037

DO - 10.1016/j.adapen.2021.100037

M3 - Article

VL - 3

JO - Advances in Applied Energy

JF - Advances in Applied Energy

M1 - 100037

ER -

Industrial energy use and decarbonisation in the glass sector: A UK perspective

Abstract

Funding

Keywords

UN SDGs

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this