O-I, Verallia and Verescence commission hybrid glass furnaces in France

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

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