Vidrala joins the green hydrogen consortium in Portugal

Vidrala Group has joined the Nazaré Green Hydrogen Valley (NGHV) consortium in Portugal, a project led by Portuguese renewable gas producer Rega Energy. The NGHV includes the country’s three main glass producers, as well as other leaders in the ceramics and cement industries, all active in the central region of Marinha Grande, Leiria and Coimbra.

The NGHV consortium aims to drive change in the Portuguese industrial sector and its strategy towards de-carbonization through mature and scalable technology. It also seeks to lead the transition to cleaner energy produced from renewable sources and using circular economy practices through the use of waste water.

The Nazaré Green Hydrogen Valley (NHGV) project represents 10 percent of the CO2 emissions of the industrial sector in Portugal, with a strong impact on the sustainability of the sector, exports, and communities. NGHV has an initial investment of more than EUR 100 million and is expected to increase over time, as well as employ more than 1,700 people by 2025.

In the words of Carlos Barranha, technical director at Vidrala Group, “It is of great importance that glass containers are de-carbonized to achieve our future of zero emissions as well as a circular economy. While it is true that glass has many environmental and health benefits, we still have work to do in terms of the carbon intensity of our furnaces, a key challenge that we need to address and for which we are working from our different facilities. This objective has led us to join the consortium to work towards a positive impact on Portugal’s glass industry.”

Vidrala’s commitment to the Portuguese market is key, something the company already demonstrated after installing a solar plant at its logistics facilities in the country in 2018. By joining NGHV, the company is further boosting its penetration in Portugal as a leading company committed to the transformation of the economy towards a green future.