From laboratory to factory: the path to decarbonizing glass in Portugal

Decarbonizing without losing competitiveness is one of the industry’s biggest challenges. Driven by European environmental policies and a market increasingly oriented towards sustainability, RODIV2050 was born – Roadmap for the Decarbonization of the Packaging Glass and Crystal Industry, which attempts to respond to the regulations on the table and a greener future. The presentation of this collaborative work took place this Wednesday, at the Malibu Foz Hotel, in Figueira da Foz, under the motto “Shape the Future”.

The roadmap is the result of more than two years of work, in an initiative led by AIVE – Associação dos Industriais de Vidro de Embalagem and APICER – Associação Portuguesa das Indústrias de Cerâmica e Cristalaria, in partnership with CTCV – Ceramic and Glass Technological Center, Ernst & Young Portugal and Smart Waste Portugal. The event was moderated by SIC journalist Ana Peneda Moreira and with a list of participants whose names and positions can be found HERE.

Discover the main conclusions.

A clear path

• “Decarbonization is not an option, today it is imperative”, defended José Pulido Valente in the opening session. For the president of IAPMEI, a country that does not have fossil resources, must “lead the decarbonization process”
• “Portugal has a good track record in the production of renewable energy, but also in all sectors of activity that have managed to adapt technology and innovate processes to achieve more and better with fewer emissions”, he highlighted.
• “The main barrier to trade is in the domestic market [europeu]: recently, a study managed to quantify non-customs barriers and they were equivalent to a customs tax of 40%”, added Pulido Valente, referring to a market with around 450 million consumers.

Where are we

• Portugal is the largest European producer per capita packaging glass: produces an average of 16 thousand tons of glass packaging per year.
• In the glass sector, since 2005 there has been an increase in production of around 50%, corresponding to an increase in energy consumption of around 19%. Which, in comparison, reveals an effort towards energy efficiency.
• Total emissions went from 500 thousand tons of CO2 to 540 thousand in 2024.
• In 2023, the packaging glass sector had a turnover of over €800 million, while that of glass and crystalware was €100 million.

Some solutions for the decarbonization of the sector

• Biomethane can directly replace natural gas, but Portugal does not yet have the production capacity to respond to industry needs.
• Green hydrogen (produced through the electrolysis of water) is a promising alternative. But the main challenges are limited production capacity and availability, as well as high cost.
• Decarbonization also involves paper, and it is important to simplify access to funds to support sustainable financing; investment incentive mechanisms; or financial planning to manage potential cost increases.
• Lightening: term used to define design and product optimization. For example, the production of thinner bottles. Ecodesign is, moreover, fundamental in this equation, allowing the creation of easily recyclable products: today, Portugal can recycle 54% of used glass.

The debate that came to the table

• “Electrical energy plays a fundamental role, produced from renewable sources. We have a higher average level of hours of sun and wind exposure than other countries”, argued José Toscano, head of DIECS-Alentejo/ DGEG.
• Jaime Braga, general secretary of the Portuguese Association of Bioenergy Producers, He was more skeptical: “One thing is plans and what’s on paper. Paper can handle everything, we have to build reality.”
• “Decarbonization is not just a climate imperative, it is also an economic issue”, highlighted Sara Freitas, member of the Policy and Market Intelligence team at APREN.
• Tiago Moreira da Silva, pAIVE resident, He took the opportunity to leave a question: “One of the biggest problems with this transition is that we don’t know what the energy costs will be.”