AIRTO member Glass Futures has reached a significant milestone in its mission to accelerate the decarbonisation of energy intensive industries, with the successful completion of alternative fuel trial programmes testing biofuels and electric melting, and commissioning hydrogen capabilities on its 30 tonnes-per-day pilot line.

Image Credit: Glass Futures

The achievement comes almost exactly seven years after the organisation secured funding for its first Industrial Fuel Switching projects from the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero, marking a new phase of innovation and momentum for the global glass sector. These complex, multi-pathway trials that started in October 2025 have delivered ground-breaking results that demonstrate the technical potential of low-carbon fuel technologies at industrially relevant scales.

Key successes include the installation and commissioning of a bespoke biofuel delivery system, fully integrated into the site’s digital control environment which has been used to successfully fire four novel, low-cost, waste-derived biofuels for sustained periods over several days.

Justin Kelly, CEO of Glass Futures, said:

The successful completion of these trial programmes marks a crucial milestone not just for Glass Futures, but for the industry’s journey to net zero. We have demonstrated, at industrial scale, the technical viability of a number of alternative low-carbon fuel pathways that have never before been trialled in this way. It is a testament to the resilience, ingenuity, and collaboration of the entire Glass Futures team.