Reducing Emissions the Cleanfire Way

16 February 2012

Reducing emissions the Cleanfire® way

Air Products launches an online calculator to help prepare the glass industry for the third phase of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) legislation.

LONDON, UK (14 February 2012)– Air Products has launched a new easy-to-use online tool to help glass producers compare their CO2 emissions against the new benchmarks and calculate how much they can reduce their emissions using Air Products Cleanfire® technologies. As well as encouraging more installations to improve their environmental performance, glass producers could find that switching to oxy-fuel burner technology brings significant efficiency benefits.

The new tool will help glass producers prepare for the third phase of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) legislation, due to be implemented from January 2013. As part of the changes, member states are introducing new benchmark values according to sector, which were agreed by the European Commission last year. Based on these benchmark values, ‘allocations’ are set on an installation-by-installation basis, typically according to the quantity and type of glass produced. From 1 January 2013, the most efficient glass manufacturers can benefit from an additional revenue stream under the new auctioning system.

Oxy-fuel is widely recognised as one of the greenest combustion technologies for glass furnaces compared to traditional air fuel, which means improved energy consumption and lower carbon emissions. Air Products’ Cleanfire® burner technology provides the most efficient melting of glass as less heat is lost through flue gases. With an extensive reference list of installed and running furnaces it can be shown that production increases of between 10 and 30% are typical, whilst NOx and particulate emissions are also reduced by more than 70%.

Easy to install,  the majority of users quickly recoup the value on their investment due to lower total costs with improved glass quality. 

Jan Viduna, European Industry Manager for Glass at Air Products, said:

“The case for converting to oxy-fuel is improving all the time, even for smaller glass producers. From 2013, it is possible that small and medium-sized installations could find that switching to Air Products’ Cleanfire® burner technology reduces their carbon emissions sufficiently to qualify for ETS-related allowances.

“Advances in oxy-fuel technology have also helped to improve its viability for a wider range of installations due to a range of factors including; lower capital costs, quicker turnaround for rebuilds, more efficient oxygen production and improved burner technology. By using oxy-fuel burner technology, glassmakers have also reported significant improvements to both production and glass yield compared to air fuel furnaces.”

Air Products has been at the forefront of oxy-fuel technology since it was first introduced and has over 50 years of global experience developing and improving oxy-fuel technologies for the glass industry.

To find out more about your installation’s carbon emissions, visit www.airproducts.co.uk/co2calculator.