Glass Futures, a research and technology organisation focused on the glass industry, has joined the Hydrogen Innovation Initiative (HII) as its latest partner. The HII, backed by Innovate UK, is an industry-government-academia collaboration aimed at creating a competitive hydrogen technology and services sector in the UK. This partnership will bring Glass Futures’ expertise to the HII and contribute to the development of a sustainable hydrogen economy.
As a key member of the Industrial Advisory Board, Glass Futures has been involved with HII since its inception. The company’s focus on reducing carbon emissions in energy-intensive industries aligns with HII’s mission of using UK technology to drive the global hydrogen economy and transform the country’s industry into a net-zero powerhouse.
Rob Ireson, Innovation and Partnerships Manager at Glass Futures, expressed excitement about the opportunity for collaboration with other partners in the HII consortium. By sharing knowledge, research, and innovation across industries, Glass Futures aims to contribute to the development of sustainable hydrogen technology supply chains.
The use of fossil fuels in ceramic kilns results in significant carbon emissions, with most emissions coming from the combustion of natural gas to heat kilns. Hydrogen has the potential to reduce UK emissions by up to 780 kt CO2 per year, particularly in energy-intensive industries like glass and ceramics. Glass and ceramic industries face similar challenges in transitioning from natural gas to low-carbon hydrogen fuels for furnaces and kilns. Collaborating with other sectors will help develop solutions to these challenges and support decarbonisation efforts across industries.