Spirits company Bacardi has completed the world’s first commercial production of a glass spirits bottle fuelled by hydrogen in a trial that took place earlier this month.
Bacardi worked with glassmaker Hrastnik1860 to pioneer new technology that powered a glass furnace with hydrogen as its primary energy source and in doing so cut the Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions typically produced as a byproduct of glass bottle production.
The bottle, which for the purposes of the trial was the ST-GERMAIN elderflower liqueur bottle, is identical in appearance to the bottle produced using traditional methods and will reach bars and stores in the coming weeks.
Over the course of the trial, which produced 150,000 of the brand’s 70cl glass bottles, hydrogen contributed more than 60% of the fuel for the glass furnace, cutting GHG emissions by more than 30%.
“Piloting this lower carbon glass production is another example of Bacardi leading the industry in environmental best practice,” said Rodolfo Nervi, Vice President, Safety, Quality and Sustainability for Bacardi.
“We will take the learnings from the trial to help shape a pathway to hydrogen-fuelled glass production and create a blueprint for others to follow. It’s only through making change as an industry that we can bring significant change to our impact on the environment.”
