Ardagh Group in Denmark has made a major advance in sustainable production, by capturing surplus heat generated in glass production and selling it on to a local energy company to provide cut-price heating for more than 1,000 homes.
According to Ardagh Group, surplus heat is piped from its glassworks factory in Holmegaard, Denmark, to a tank able to store 100MWh of heat – equivalent to two days production.
From there, thanks to an agreement with energy provider SE Big Blue, it is piped into the local district heating plant’s system and on to homes in Fensmark, on the island of Zealand.
Henrik Bonné, plant director at Ardagh Glass Holmegaard, decribes the development as a ‘win-win’ for all parties: “The district will receive a secure supply of cheaper energy from one of its largest employers, a case of neighbour helping neighbours,” he says.
“It is good for the environment as, against a traditional gas boiler heating process, it saves at least 3,300 tonnes of CO2 a year, the equivalent of taking 400 cars off the road.”
In addition, Bonné says, the company will earn money on the 18,000MWh it will sell, helping to offset the cost of the investment.
The biggest company in the area, with a long history, Ardagh Glass Holmegaard produces 160,000 tonnes of container glass each year, equivalent to nearly 700 million bottles and jars, primarily for the beer spirit, wine, non-alcoholic beverage and food sectors.
The company already uses “significant amounts” of recycled glass (cullet) in its furnaces to reduce the amount of energy required to power the plant, but the glass melting operation was still generating a lot of heat being discharged through the chimney.
“We appreciate the support from SE Blue, and look forward to working on further energy improvement projects in the future,” Bonné adds.
www.ardaghgroup.com
