LCGlass’ Portuguese Plant (Crisal) recently held an open day to highlight an oxy-hybrid furnace and other projects in Marinha Grande, Portugal.

The 90 tpd furnace combines electricity, natural gas, and oxygen.

It aims to reduce CO2 emissions, increase energy efficiency, and improve the quality of the production process.

Crisal said the furnace will serve as an experimental platform to test, in an industrial setting, different energy combinations, levels of electrification, and combustion with renewable gases, including green hydrogen and potentially biomethane. The goal is to validate the oxy-hybrid model and assess its potential replicability across other glass industries.

The event, which highlighted the project, was carried out within the framework of the “Ecocerâmica e Cristalaria de Portugal” (ECP) consortium on October 29th, 2025.

Crisal and ECP welcomed 160 national and international experts for a day dedicated to modernisation, sustainability, and decarbonisation in the sector.

Carlos Viegas, Crisal Plant Manager.

The morning featured a conference, followed by an afternoon visit to the Crisal facility.

The event brought together companies, scientific and technological institutions, local authorities, and institutional partners.

It showcased how Crisal, within the scope of the ECP Agenda, was carrying out structural investments to strengthen the sector’s competitiveness.

In the opening session, Carlos Viegas, Plant Manager at Crisal, said: “The ECP Agenda reflects the main pillars of the PRR green transition, digitalisation, and skills development – driving technological modernisation and the connection between industry and knowledge.”

The event also featured technological and scientific advances resulting from collaboration between companies, technology centres, and universities, reinforcing the collective and co-operative dimension of the ECP Agenda, which aims to differentiate Portuguese products through innovation, sustainability, and digitalisation.

Site visit to the Crisal glass facility.

Mr Viegas said: “This Agenda is a unique opportunity to enhance the competitiveness of a traditional sector that seeks to position itself for the future with greener, more efficient, and technologically advanced solutions.”

The full list of presentations, in order, are as follows:

  • Célia Gonçalves, Financial Manager at Crisal, was responsible for the opening session.
  • Carlos Viegas, Plant Manager at Crisal, presented the key developments and investments under the ECP Agenda.
  • Marco van Valburg, Director of Innovation and Sustainability at LCGlass, and Andreas Schneck, Commercial Director at Sorg, presented the theme ‘Development and optimisation of oxy-hybrid furnaces for the glass industry’.
  • Manuel Ferreira, Business Developer at REGA Energy, presented the theme ‘Renewable gases – diversification, complementarity, and resilience’.
  • Pedro Amaral Jorge, President of President of the Portuguese Renewable Energy Association (APREN), and Sara Freitas, Policy and Market Intelligence at APREN, presented on ‘Renewables, decarbonisation, and boosting competitiveness in the glass and ceramics industries’.
  • Cátia Carreira, Head of Innovation at Vista Alegre Atlantis, was responsible for the closing session.