O-I Glass Selected by US Department of Energy to Receive $125 M Investment to Accelerate Industrial Decarbonization Technologies

PERRYSBURG, OH / ACCESSWIRE / March 25, 2024 / O-I Glass, Inc. ("O-I Glass" or "O-I") was selected by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Clean Energy Demonstrations to begin award negotiations for up to $125 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act funding as part of the Industrial Demonstrations Program (IDP). The O-I decarbonization project was selected as one of 33 projects across more than 20 states to receive up to a total of $6 billion to demonstrate commercial-scale decarbonization solutions needed to move energy-intensive industries toward net-zero while strengthening local economies, creating, and maintaining high-quality jobs, and slashing harmful emissions that jeopardize public health.

The Glass Furnace Decarbonization Technology project, led by O-I Glass, plans to rebuild four furnaces across three of its facilities in California, Ohio, and Virginia to reduce scope 1 carbon dioxide emissions by an estimated 48,000 metric tons per year, an average of 40% reduction of scope one emissions across the four furnaces and their corresponding production lines. The proposed rebuilds plan to combine five cutting-edge furnace technologies on each furnace, marking the first time that all five technologies have been implemented simultaneously. These technologies reduce waste heat and increase electrification, making the furnaces more energy efficient and reducing both direct and indirect emissions. The project provides O-I the opportunity to demonstrate the functionality of combining multiple technologies across different glass colors and container types.

O-I anticipates each project would support up to 300 construction jobs (up to 1,200 across four furnaces) and plans to establish Project Labor Agreements and Community Workforce Agreements as needed throughout the project to ensure project success and workers' rights. Additionally, O-I is working to enhance the company's diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts through the intentional engagement of underrepresented groups such as women, LGBTQ+, and veterans. O-I Glass and its charitable contributions would continue to support the communities through local investments in organizations, including the United Way, that address the communities' social needs, arts and culture, education and career development, and environmental impact related to glass recycling and beyond.