In 2013 the white flint furnace was updated and refurbished, this year our amber furnace has been completely replaced with a new furnace and we have moved from recuperative powered to a regenerative heating technology. This year’s investment of 18 Million EUR is a further indication of the Group’s continued investment and our intention to improve our environmental footprint; the key benefit is a 50% reduction in the amount of electricity used to heat the furnace and also 20% in gas. The adoption of this latest technology results in a significant reduction in CO2 emissions by 4500 tons per year. This is a clear statement of our intent to both economic and environmental sustainability going forward at our plant in Koflach.
On September 8, the last brick was put in place on top of the furnace by Dr. Cornelius Grupp, owner of Stölzle Glass Group; the ceremony was attended by our regional and national politicians. Finally the furnace received a blessing from our local priest and melting began. Dr Grupp once more expressed his confidence in the Austrian plant: “Stölzle has always been an Austrian based Group with international production sites. For me it is very important that the Austrian headquarters maintains a strong position in the business.”
Source: STO Marketing