Glass Future’s to focus on net-zero development in Liverpool City Region

Glass Futures is a global not-for-profit development company focused on creating the ‘Global Centre of Excellence’, which involves making glass the low carbon material of choice throughout society.

The St Helen’s development company is a field leader, rallying against the energy-intensive industry and driving the importance of decarbonisation. These reasons are why Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has awarded £9 million to support the project, which is currently valued at £54 million.

However, some are wondering how being not-for-profit will hold up over the coming years. Glass Futures’ profits come from an option to join a membership. This undisclosed price that is currently paid by the likes of University of Cambridge and Siemens allows access to leading industry experts, using their technology and research to benefit your business and an option to bring staff along to ‘an inspiring space’ amongst more opportunities.

Glass Futures is co-funded by the UK Government and Industry and will be the first industry-led global centre of excellence in open innovation, R&D and training.

Some key points of interest for future projects include development of alternative fuel technologies, robotic operations and automation, secondary raw materials for circular economy and next generation refractories.

Aston Fuller, Glass Futures General Manager has commented, “NetZero is vitally important and assets like this are really going to put Liverpool City Region at the heart of that industrial decarbonisation. We are actually working with global manufacturers to help decarbonise their industries because this asset really does offer something unique that you cannot find anywhere else in the world.”

Thankfully, the decarbonisation leader has already impacted the economy of Liverpool City Region. In Late 2021,the world’s first trial of a 100% hydrogen-fired commercial glass furnace took place at Pilkington’s.

The construction of the centre has and will bring a wealth of benefits to the City Region, with 50% of the workforce coming from within Liverpool at the time.

The project also promises to deliver more than 735 apprenticeship hours, a commitment to saving 1000tn of CO2 emissions and 100 volunteer hours committed to local ‘green projects.

The completion of this facility has been estimated to conclude around January 2023.

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