Revolutionizing Glass Manufacturing: All-Electric Furnace Reduces Emissions by 90%

Japanese glassmaker Nippon Electric Glass Co. is starting to produce pharmaceutical-grade tubing using a new all-electric melting furnace.

The new commercial production and electrification began this month at a Nippon subsidiary in Selangor, Malaysia.

By combining NEG’s proprietary all-electric melting technology with renewable energy, CO2 emissions from glass tubing production are anticipated to be reduced by up to 90% as compared to previous fossil-fuel combustion furnaces. The technology applies electricity to submerged electrodes to heat glass directly, eliminates combustion gas emissions and reduces environmental impact while maintaining the high quality required for pharmaceutical glass.

“Launching the world’s first mass production line for pharmaceutical glass tubing using an all-electric furnace is a major milestone,” Masamori Wada, vice president for Nippon Electric Glass, said in a statement. “We see this as a concrete step toward carbon-neutral pharmaceutical supply chains, enabling customers to choose products that are both high-grade and environmentally responsible.”

NEG is a global supplier of arsenic-free, borosilicate glass tubing for medical containers, including vials, ampoules, pre-filled syringes, and cartridges. Demand for these containers has increased due to the global expansion of biopharmaceuticals.

Markets for GLP-1 formulations (for diabetes and obesity treatments) are growing at approximately 33% annually, with rising demand across North America, Europe, and emerging regions like India and China. NEG aims to support the rapidly growing global needs by establishing this high-volume, low-emission manufacturing platform.

The steel and processing industries are exploring decarbonization through electrification of furnaces at the manufacturing level. Those companies include Algoma Steel, Hyundai Steel, Encirc and Ardagh Glass Packaging.