Pochet and Fives combine for decarbonised luxury glass production

The Pochet Group and Fives have combined their expertise to offer environmentally- friendly glass production.

French glass manufacturer Pochet du Courval inaugurated a Prium E-Melt furnace at its Guimerville site, France

International engineering group Fives was entrusted to design and supply the all-electric cold top vertical melter to replace a traditional gas-fired furnace.

The nearly €40M investment, €6M of which comes from public funding, is supported by Pochet Group’s private shareholders.

The lower CO2 production is also aligned with the group’s strategy to reduce the glass industry’s environmental impact with the renewable electricity consumed generated at a photovoltaic plant in Charente, France.

Prium E-Melt is a glass melting technology from Fives which delivers container glass quality with a reduction in the energy consumed and associated emissions.

Benoît Marszalek, Director of Operations at Pochet du Courval, said: "The electric furnace is a first in France for luxury glass packaging.

"It is a major step in our environmental commitment and will have a colossal impact on how the company operates.

"It will allow us to offer highly decarbonised glass packaging for luxury brands and shape the beauty of tomorrow."

The furnace will produce around 70 tonnes of Pochet du Courval’s extra-flint glass per day, which is more than 30% than the gas-fired furnace it replaced.

Guillaume Mehlman, President of Steel & Glass Division at Fives, said: "This electric furnace represents a significant step forward in the decarbonisation of the glass industry as it offers a sustainable alternative to traditional furnaces."