SCHOTT Group achieves first optical glass produced with 100% hydrogen energy

• SCHOTT takes a major step towards environmentally friendly production of special glass
  

• First successful production of special glass using pure hydrogen furnace

• If green hydrogen is popularized on a large scale, this technology will have great potential for industrial application

A milestone has been reached in the path of climate-neutral industrial production : After successfully testing the production of glass using 100% hydrogen under laboratory conditions last year , the German high-tech group SCHOTT AG has now achieved the much-anticipated industrial application of this technology . For three days, SCHOTT melted optical glass for the first time in a furnace heated by pure hydrogen , without using any natural gas.

The large-scale test yielded very good results , and SCHOTT is currently analyzing the quality of the produced glass. Dr. Lenka Deneke, Project Manager at SCHOTT , explains: “The 100% hydrogen test is a first for the specialty glass industry . If the test shows that the quality and performance of the glass remain unchanged, hydrogen will become a viable technology path . ”

The test manager stressed that this success was largely due to the melting tests carried out by SCHOTT last year, in which 35% of the volume of hydrogen was used in the initial tests . The tests at that time were very successful, but there are still many questions that need to be further studied, such as: How does the use of hydrogen affect the complex melting process and the quality of different products? What long-term effects does hydrogen heating have on the plant itself? How can hydrogen energy be used in the best way in production to replace natural gas ? Which infrastructure needs to be adjusted accordingly?

To investigate these issues, SCHOTT chose an optical glass as its first test product. The reason for this is that optical glass must have extremely high homogeneity and transmission properties, and the melted glass must also meet the same high standards and undergo rigorous quality tests. The SCHOTT Group produces more than 100 types of optical glass for a variety of applications , such as consumer goods , measurement technology, and optical systems for scientific research , using high-quality raw materials .

If the glass produced with hydrogen meets the product requirements, the next step is to send it to the customer for evaluation . Deneke said: " Once the evaluation is completed , we will be able to confirm that using 100% hydrogen instead of fossil fuels under industrial conditions can produce the same quality product ."

A permanent energy switch will require further long-term testing and a continuous supply of hydrogen. By then , SCHOTT will have taken another important step towards its strategic goal of climate- neutral glass production by 2030. Specifically, this means eliminating scope 1 or 2 emissions in production as agreed in the Greenhouse Gas Protocol . SCHOTT is pursuing this goal through four areas of action: technological change ( such as the switch to green hydrogen ) , increasing energy efficiency, using 100% green electricity, and compensating for remaining emissions by participating in climate protection projects.

SCHOTT has already achieved 100% green electricity conversion , and energy efficiency is also being systematically improved. The technological change is mainly aimed at finding energy solutions that can replace natural gas to operate the furnace , such as electrification through green electricity , or the widespread application of green hydrogen in the future . To this end, SCHOTT has already carried out the first large-scale test with local partners at the end of 2022 , adding 35% hydrogen to natural gas , followed by laboratory tests with 100% hydrogen in the spring of 2023 , paving the way for large-scale industrial applications .

For infrastructure challenges: green hydrogen is in short supply

In the large-scale test with 100% hydrogen heating, SCHOTT's hydrogen tanks were filled three times , but with grey hydrogen instead of green climate -neutral hydrogen. This is because green hydrogen, i.e. hydrogen produced from renewable energy , is still in short supply. Dr. He Derui, CEO of SCHOTT, said : "We decided to use grey hydrogen for the tests at the current stage so that we can take the time to verify the technical feasibility of hydrogen energy , which is enough for our tests . However, we urgently need green energy to protect the environment ." SCHOTT appealed to politicians: "Companies from energy-intensive industries need to set the course for how countries can develop green electricity and green hydrogen infrastructure as quickly as possible . In the end , our efforts will pay off, which will help alleviate climate problems and increase the competitiveness of our industry."

In addition to its own investments, the SCHOTT Group also receives financial support from various German institutions for its development work in the field of hydrogen . The tests were supported by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research ( BMBF ) and the DLR project management organization in the MiGWa project, as well as funding from the EU - Next Generation EU . In addition, the EU funded the project "H2 Industry - Use of Hydrogen in Industrial Combustion Processes" through the European Regional Development Fund in cooperation with the Ministry of Climate Protection , Environment, Energy and Transport of the German State of Rhineland - Palatinate . The Kopnikus project "Power-to-X" was funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research ( BMBF ).

Successful large-scale industrial test: SCHOTT produces optical glass using 100% hydrogen for the first time. Image source: SCHOTT Group	The temperature of the liquid glass in the furnace can reach up to 1700 degrees Celsius. Image source: SCHOTT Group
SCHOTT produces more than 100 types of optical glass for various applications from high-quality raw materials. Image source: SCHOTT Group	Inspection of glass blocks: The large-scale test yielded very good results and SCHOTT is currently analyzing the quality of the glass. Image source: SCHOTT Group

The international high-tech group SCHOTT produces high-quality components and advanced materials, including specialty glass, glass-ceramics and polymers. Many of SCHOTT's products have high-tech applications that push the boundaries of technology, such as flexible glass in foldable smartphones, glass-ceramic mirror substrates in the world's largest telescopes, and laser glass in nuclear fusion. With a pioneering spirit, SCHOTT's 17,100 employees in more than 30 countries work with industries such as healthcare, home appliances, consumer electronics, semiconductors, optics, astronomy, energy and aerospace. In fiscal 2023 , SCHOTT had sales of 2.9 billion euros. In addition to innovation, one of its important corporate goals is sustainability, namely to achieve climate-neutral production by 2030. Founded in 1884 and headquartered in Mainz, Germany, SCHOTT is affiliated with the Carl Zeiss Foundation, which uses its dividends to promote science and technology.