The successful completion of major industrial fuel switching trials mark a significant step toward improving energy efficiency and reducing carbon emissions within energy-intensive industries, supporting the UK’s goal to transition towards net zero while ensuring alternative energy solutions are viable long-term.
- Key achievements include:
Industrial trials involving the UK’s largest glass and ceramic manufacturers conducted at the end of 2024 and the start of 2025 utilised liquid biofuels in glass and ceramics production.
Successful implementation and trial of a new e-boosting system at an industrial scale, demonstrating the potential to enhance furnace efficiency and heat the glass using electricity, thus reducing reliance on natural gas and other fuels.
Ceramics UK have successfully demonstrated hydrogen and hydrogen-natural gas blend firing in a custom-designed ceramics pilot-kiln at the Glass Futures pilot facility.
Three £6 million government funded Industrial Fuel Switching (IFS) projects each focus on transitioning high temperature industrial manufacturing processes away from fossil fuels. Glass Futures is leading this effort for the glass and foundation industries by exploring alternative fuels such as waste-derived biofuels, electrical boosting, and hydrogen.
These projects form part of the UK’s Industrial Fuel Switching (IFS) Programme, supported by the government’s £1 billion Net Zero Innovation Portfolio managed by the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ).
