O-I in record €95 million investment for French glass plants

O-I Glass will invest €95 million into two of its French glass packaging production facilities.

These investments aim to upgrade the sustainability, flexibility, and productivity of its operations in Gironcourt-sur-Vraine and Reims.

In Gironcourt, where the plant recently marked its 120^th anniversary, €55 million will be invested in close co-operation with one of O-I’s key customers.

The investment will rebuild a furnace and equip it with GOAT technology (Gas Oxy Advanced Technology).

The GOAT technology, which was successfully implemented last year at the O-I plant in Vayres (France), uses a mix of gas and oxygen to heat the furnace.

In combination with a newly installed heat recovery system to pre-heat raw materials and recycled glass, the new installation is expected to reduce CO₂ emissions by up to 18%.

In addition to the furnace upgrade, a production line at the plant will be modernised to further increase flexibility and capacity.

In Reims, O-I completed a €40 million investment for a major upgrade.

This included the full renovation of one of the plant’s two furnaces and a production line, as well as the installation of all-new equipment.

On top of multiple operational benefits, this also resulted in an overall energy reduction of about 5%.

Walter Ferrer, Managing Director of O-I Glass for Southwest Europe, said: “These very significant investments are perfectly in line with the global approach adopted by O-I to reinforce our commitment to sustainable development, increase the energy efficiency of our equipment, create more resilient supply chains and constantly seek to improve the working conditions of our teams.

“They also demonstrate the confidence we have in our facilities in France, and our full commitment to serving our customers, our teams, and the planet.”

In total, O-I has invested €90 million into the Reims site since 2019, when its other furnace was rebuilt.

The plant produces 300 million bottles a year for the Champagne, Burgundy, Loire Valley, and Alsace markets.

Meanwhile, the new expenditure into Gironcourt will increase the total investment into the site to almost €120 million since 2019, when O-I established a third furnace.

The Gironcourt plant produces approximately 1.9 billion bottles a year, primarily for the beer market.