Glass packaging maker Verallia reported revenue of EUR 829m (USD 923m) in the third quarter of 2026, down 2.1% from EUR 846m a year earlier, as reduced shipment volumes in the wine category offset gains in beer. The group reaffirmed 2026 guidance of adjusted EBITDA around EUR 700m and free cash flow of EUR 220m, and named Stefan Borgas to succeed Michel Giannuzzi as board chairman from the April 2027 AGM.
Why this mattersWine weakness in France and Iberia drove Verallia's volume decline as pricing effects faded, leaving cost savings to hold margins in container glass.
- Q3 2026 revenue was EUR 829m (USD 923m), down 2.1% from EUR 846m in Q3 2025
- Nine-month revenue reached EUR 2.5bn, down 1.6% year on year
- Adjusted EBITDA was EUR 172m in Q3, a margin of 20.8% versus 20.7% in the first half
- Net financial debt fell to EUR 1.7bn at end-September 2026 from EUR 1.9bn a year earlier
- Cost-reduction programme (PAP) saved EUR 37m through September, a 2.2% reduction in net cash production costs
- Stefan Borgas is to become board chairman after the 30 April 2027 AGM, subject to shareholder confirmation, succeeding Michel Giannuzzi
Verallia is adding three photovoltaic plants in Seville, Zaragoza and Azuqueca de Henares, Spain, to four already operating at its Iberian glass container sites, bringing the network to seven solar installations across Spain and Portugal. Once complete, the plants will generate more than 58,000 MWh a year, covering about 16% of electricity use at Verallia Iberia's factories. The company is also studying battery storage to raise self-consumption further.
Why this mattersOn-site renewable generation cuts grid dependence and energy cost exposure for a glass maker in one of packaging's most energy-intensive processes.
- Three new photovoltaic plants are under construction in Seville, Zaragoza and Azuqueca de Henares, Spain
- Combined with four existing plants in Figueira da Foz, Burgos, Gran Canaria and Montblanc, the network will total seven solar sites
- Once complete, capacity will exceed 58,000 MWh per year
- This will cover approximately 16% of electricity consumption at Verallia Iberia plants
- Verallia is also studying battery storage to increase self-consumption at its plants
O-I Glass, Verallia and Verescence have each commissioned a hybrid furnace in France in 2026, according to the Federation of Glass Industries, giving the country the largest hybrid furnace base in Europe's container glass sector. O-I Glass installed its unit at Veauche, alongside Verallia's furnace at Saint-Romain-le-Puy and Verescence's at Mers-les-Bains; some sites have cut carbon dioxide emissions by up to 64%.
Why this mattersHybrid retrofits let glassmakers cut emissions on ageing furnaces without the capital cost of full electrification, a template others may follow at their next rebuild.
- O-I Glass commissioned a hybrid furnace at its Veauche site in France in 2026
- Verallia commissioned a hybrid furnace at Saint-Romain-le-Puy and Verescence at Mers-les-Bains in 2026
- Some hybrid furnace sites have cut carbon dioxide emissions by up to 64%, per the Federation of Glass Industries
- France runs 17 glass factories and 13 processing centres employing nearly 7,000 workers
- France has more than 150 decarbonisation and innovation projects under way across its glass sector
- 40% of glass food packaging used in France is now imported, up from 20% two decades ago
BV Glas, the German glass industry association, says weaker demand has forced container glass producers to cut capacity, and warns that a shut furnace cannot be restarted at short notice, so the capacity is lost over the longer term. Ardagh, BA Glass and Verallia have each closed German production facilities, with the European Glass Container Federation citing high energy and carbon costs, overcapacity and weak demand. The association is urging German and EU policymakers to secure competitive industrial energy prices and carbon-leakage protection to prevent further closures.
Why this mattersPermanent furnace closures reduce Europe's domestic glass packaging capacity, tightening supply options for food and beverage brands reliant on local sourcing.
- German container glass sales volumes fell 3.4% year on year to about 929,000 metric tons in Q1 2026
- Beverage bottle sales within that fell 5% in Q1 2026
- German container glass market grew 2.2% to about 3.87 million metric tons in 2025 after declines in 2023 and 2024
- Ardagh, BA Glass and Verallia have recently closed German production facilities
- BV Glas says glass furnaces cannot be restarted at short notice once shut down, causing long-term capacity loss
- BV Glas is calling for competitive industrial energy prices and EU carbon-leakage protection to prevent further closures
Moët Hennessy and glass packaging maker Verallia have announced a strategic partnership to develop a new generation of lighter, stronger glass bottles for wine and spirits. The programme targets a 30% to 50% reduction in bottle weight through new glass-strengthening technologies while preserving mechanical performance. The alliance builds on existing bottle-weight reduction work already applied across Moët Hennessy brands including its Champagne houses, Hennessy, Terrazas de los Andes, Chandon and Château Galoupet.
Why this mattersA 30-50% bottle weight cut would materially reduce glass demand and carbon footprint per unit, pressuring rivals to match lightweighting across premium wine and spirits packaging.
- Partnership targets a 30% to 50% reduction in bottle weight.
- Glass packaging accounts for up to 30% of the wine and spirits industry's carbon footprint, according to the companies.
- Verallia has an SBTi-validated pathway targeting Net Zero for scopes 1 and 2 by 2040 and scope 3 by 2050.
- Bottle-weight reduction results are already visible across Moët Hennessy's Champagne Maisons, Hennessy, Terrazas de los Andes, Chandon and Château Galoupet.
- Announcement made jointly on 22 September 2026.
- Verallia is described as Europe's leading and the world's third-largest glass packaging producer for food and beverages
- Verallia is headquartered in Courbevoie, France
