Energy Awards 2026: BEAR Wins in Energy Efficiency Category
At the Energy Days event, Steklarna Hrastnik received the expert jury award in the category of energy efficiency projects for the BEAR project, which introduced the first industrial hybrid glass furnace.
In collaboration with the National Institute of Chemistry, we designed and implemented the first industrial hybrid glass furnace, enabling up to 40% of the furnace’s energy mix to come from electricity.
Conventional regenerative glass furnaces primarily rely on natural gas for melting, with electricity playing only a supporting role, which limits electrification potential. With the introduction of the first industrial hybrid regenerative glass furnace, Steklarna Hrastnik reduced natural gas consumption by more than 50%.
Congratulations to the entire team behind this achievement.