Briquetting of recycled glass fines for energy and CO2 reduction in the glass industry

玻璃行业是低效能源消耗的代名词，导致高能源成本和碳排放。全球玻璃制造行业使用140-220太瓦时的能源，每年排放50-60公吨二氧化碳，这将导致同比增长，预测市场增长率为7.2%。玻璃熔化过程占该行业能源消耗的75%，而熔化炉的平均运行效率仅为55%。仅在英国，玻璃工业的能源成本就相当于大约7250万吨/年，效率低下、次优的熔炼过程导致了15万吨不必要的二氧化碳排放。这个问题的一个关键因素是小玻璃回收玻璃的供应，当重新引入熔化过程时，可以显著降低玻璃制造原材料的熔化能量。该项目将测试一种新的成型技术的可行性，该技术通过将废弃的碎屑(占总供应量的20%)转化为可引入玻璃熔炼过程的有价值的原材料，从而确保小块的长期供应，从而减少4-8%的能源消耗、成本和二氧化碳排放。

The glass industry is synonymous with inefficient energy consumption, resulting in high energy costs andcarbon emissions. The global glass manufacturing sector uses 140 - 220 TWh of energy and emits 50-60 MT ofCO2 p/a, which is set to escalate YoY, with a forecast market growth rate p/a of 7.2%. Glass melting processesaccount for 75% of the industry's energy consumption, with the average melting furnace operating at only 55%efficiency. In the UK alone the energy costs for the glass industry equate to circa £72.5m p/a, and inefficient,sub-optimal melting processes result in unnecessary CO2 emissions of 150,000T. A key contributor to theproblem is the availability of the supply of cullet - recycled glass, which, when re-introduced into the meltingprocess, can significantly reduce the melting energy of glass making raw materials. This project will test thefeasibility of a new briquetting technology that will secure the long term supply of cullet by converting wastecullet fines (20% of the total supply) into valuable raw material that can be introduced into the glass meltingprocess, and subsequently reduce energy consumption, costs and CO2 emissions by 4-8%.