ANFEVI reports considerable savings by Spanish container glass Industry

The members of ANFEVI (Asociación Nacional de Fabricantes de Vidrio) in Spain have considerably reduced their energy consumption and emissions between 2011 and 2013. Impressive reductions by 4.92% in energies and 5,41% in CO2 emissions were achieved during this period.

These figures represent a saving of 156,000 MWh or 92,040 barrels of oil resp. CO2 emissions of 5,280 people/year.

ANFEVI has thus manifested its intention to continue its policy to reduce energy consumption and has expressed its full trust in the future of the glass industry.

The energy issue is also a top-priority subject for the European Union and ANFEFI assures that in Spain, energy efficiency is one of the key factors, because it is one of the mayor container glass exporters, both empty and filled ones.

However, the availability of cullet (recycled glass) in Spain is lower, which is a disadvantage when it comes to energy saving, since a large part of the fusion energy is used in the formation of the glass network. This process requires less energy using recycled glass.

In addition to recycling, in its constant search for improvements and savings, firms have entered partnerships in all areas , regarding the design of furnaces and burners, in the monitoring and control of the entire combustion process with the purpose to reducing heat losses and the use of the residual energy of combustion. The annual energy savings as a result come up to 156,000 MWh which is equivalent to 92,040 barrels of oil.

Energy saving of approx. 5% is a particularly notable result, since it is always more difficult to improve when you are close to the limit, but this saving is improving the competitiveness and sustainability", so the general Secretary of ANFEVI, Juan Martín.

The organization reports, that the companies associated with ANFEVI produce 2.4 million tons of glass every year, so the decline of 5.41% of CO2 means that the industry has achieved a saving of 52.800 tons in annual emissions of this gas which equals 5.280 Spanish citizens emissions for an entire year.