Gallo Glass secures $5 million funding for hybrid glass furnace

Gallo Glass was recently awarded a $5 million California state contribution for the construction of a hybrid glass furnace.

The hybrid furnace will enable Gallo to reduce the use of natural gas fuel, increase energy-efficiency, and reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) and carbon emissions.

The company will be supplied with Clean Melter technology from German engineering company Sorg.

Gallo's Modesto plant is the largest glass container production facility in the USA and produces approximately 2.5 million wine and spirits bottles a day from its five furnaces.

The Modesto, California based glass manufacturer secured the funding from the California Energy Commission (CEC) through the state’s Industrial Decarbonization and Improvements to Grid Operations Program (INDIGO) for cost share funding that will leverage federal funding from the US Department of Energy of $75 million.

Gallo Glass will provide match funding of $70 million to install, operate and demonstrate the new hybrid glass furnace technology to support the decarbonisation of the US glass industry.

According to CEC documents, the goal of the Gallo project is to increase electrification with new electric glass forming and glass melting equipment to replace the current process that relies on natural gas.

This will shift the source energy from the current 90% natural gas and 10% electricity to up to 80% electricity and 20% natural gas.

The new production line is expected to be in operation by 2028. The documents list Lija Corp as a subcontractor for the project.

The CEC documents also outline a plan by Gallo to expand and enhance its Community Benefits Programmes.

It outlines a ‘novel community glass recycling programme to holistically address environmental benefits throughout the glass manufacturing supply chain and expand upon existing workforce development and apprenticeship programmes to train a projected 102 new employees.’

Training will also be offered to Gallo Glass' existing 741 employees.