Absolut Vodka, Ardagh Group Co-Invest in Hydrogen-Fired Glass Furnace, a Spirits Industry First
Absolut agreed to use a partly hydrogen-fired Ardagh Glass Packaging furnace in Limmared, (20% green gas) commencing in the second half of 2023. This means a full-scale change of the continuous production of Absolut bottles for all markets globally. The hydrogen will be produced onsite at Ardagh by using renewably sourced electricity and would reduce Absolut Vodka’s carbon footprint from glass by 20%.
Stéphanie Durroux, Chief Executive Officer of The Absolut Company, says: "The glass manufacturing industry is on a transformative journey, and the world can’t wait for the perfect solution. A bold and innovative approach is needed to accelerate radical change that will help solve the significant sustainability challenges that all glassmakers and buyers of glass face."
Bo Nilsson, Managing Director of Ardagh Glass Limmared AB, added: “Our industry needs to be less reliant on fossil fuels and transition at pace to using more green energy. By investing in this new technology, we are embarking on a journey to reduce the carbon footprint of our glass packaging. There are challenges with such innovation, but we are committed to being an early mover in future-proofing our glass manufacturing operations world-wide."
In addition to the Absolut Vodka and Ardagh Group partnership, the Group is pleased to announce that it is becoming a member of Glass Futures, a not-for-profit research and technology organisation connecting the industry and academia to build a Global Centre of Excellence for glass to create sustainable, low carbon bottles.
Richard Katz, Chief Executive Officer of Glass Futures said: “At Glass Futures we bring together global supply chains, with common problems, to enable a revolutionary change in glass manufacture to decarbonise both the glass and foundation industries. We’re delighted that Pernod Ricard, a global wine and spirits company committed to being sustainable and responsible, has joined our membership. We hope the trials into new low carbon fuels and technologies will drive innovations in the glass supply chain and support our members on their journey to net zero.”
Together with glass producer Encirc and Glass Futures, Irish Distillers, owner of Jameson Irish Whiskey and a Pernod Ricard affiliate, was part of a ground-breaking trial in 2020 which leveraged the use of biofuels to produce more than 3 million glass bottles for Jameson from 100% recycled glass, resulting in a reduced carbon footprint of up to 90%.
Vanessa Wright, Chief Sustainability Officer at Pernod Ricard said: “These exciting partnerships, which we are delighted to unveil in the lead up to the COP27, are key to accelerating our sustainability journey. True to our vision ‘Créateurs de convivialité’, we strongly believe in working with others to strengthen what we do collectively and drive innovation for a greener future, in line with our 2030 Sustainability & Responsibility roadmap ‘Good Times from a Good Place’”.