Europe Dominates Global Glass Container Spending

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Written by Eric Funderburk for IIR News Intelligence (Sugar Land, Texas)

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Summary

Europe accounts for nearly half of the US$6 billion of the capital and maintenance spending in the world's glass containers sector.

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Bedrock Items

Consider the many roles glass containers play in the world, and an abundance of uses emerge, ranging from food and drink containers to laboratory equipment to injection syringes. It's no wonder that Industrial Info Resources data show the glass containers sector garnering more than US$5.8 billion worth of current and planned capital projects and another US$189 million worth of spending coming in the form of more than 120 planned maintenance events through 2028 at glass container plants.

Out of this US$6 billion of total spending, one global region rises above the others, accounting for almost half of all global glass container project spending: Europe. Europe accounts for US$2.94 billion worth current and planned capital and maintenance spending at glass container plants, including more than US$990 million worth of projects presently underway.

Europe's Spending

Spending on glass container production projects in Europe is notable in Belgium, Hungary and France in particular, although Industrial Info Resources is tracking projects across 21 European countries, including Russia.

Belgian Bottles, Hungarian Heat & Turkish Ties

Belgium leads the continent and, in fact, the world when it comes to glass containers spending, and that largely comes down to one large project targeting bottles, jars and food packaging. Ciner Glass, part of Turkish conglomerate Ciner Group broke ground on a grassroot facility in 2024 in Lommel, Limburg, around 75 kilometers (46 miles) from a major Port of Antwerp dock for both receiving raw materials and shipping product.

The plant will feature two 650-ton-per-day furnaces, each feeding four production lines. Completion of the first furnace is expected by the end of this year, while work on the second furnace is expected to carry on into 2027. A March 2025 press release from InDUfed, the Belgian paper and glass federation, noted the facility is expected to produce 2 billion bottles a year, hailing the project as "the return to Belgium of the beer bottle industry."

Subscribers can access details of the project, including construction timelines, key contact details, and equipment and service needs for construction of both furnaces, a 5.5-megawatt solar array and a storage facility capable of holding 250 million bottles, by clicking here.

Hungary's glass container project activity also is dominated by a substantial grassroot project, accounting for more than US$437 million worth of construction spending--interestingly, from another Turkish company, Sisecam. Also like the Belgium project, the plant being built in Kaposvar, Hungary, is targeting food and beverage packaging. The first of the plant's two furnaces was first fired in February, and work on the second is nearing completion, putting the plant on track to produce around 330,000 tons of colored glass containers and components a year.

Furnaces in France

Unlike Belgium and Hungary's large grassroot project, France's container in the glass container sector, which actually edges out Hungary for both the No. 2 spending position in both Europe and the world, is dominated by work on furnaces at existing plants, including rebuilds, replacements and additions. Additions and replacements of entire units obviously account for most of the country's spending, resulting in slightly less than US$320 million in anticipated spending, compared with another US$112 million for eight furnace-rebuild projects.

One particularly notable furnace addition comes from Verescence, which is incorporating a new 150-ton-per-day furnace using "oxy-gas hybrid technology" at its glass works in Mers-les-Bains that will replace up to 80% of the fossil fuels seen in typical furnaces. Verescence's project is reportedly targeting luxury glass containers for the perfume and cosmetic sectors, according to Industries Cosmetiques. The project is expected to start by the end of this year and take about a year to complete.

Other World Regions

Spending on glass container construction is notably less in other world regions, with Asia edging out North America for a distant second position regarding spending with a respectable US$925.5 million in anticipated capital and maintenance spending. Spending for both regions is dominated by furnace rebuilds.

Key Takeaways

Europe easily leads the world when it comes to investments for glass-container manufacturing.
• Belgium leads both Europe and the world, thanks to a substantial project geared to bottles and jars for food and beverages.
• Furnace rebuilds are a feature prominently in project activity within the sector.

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About Industrial Info Resources
Industrial Info Resources (IIR) is the leading provider of industrial market intelligence. Since 1983, IIR has provided comprehensive research, news and analysis on the industrial process, manufacturing and energy related industries. IIR's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) helps companies identify and pursue trends across multiple markets with access to real, qualified and validated plant and project opportunities. Across the world, Industrial Info Resources is tracking over 250,000 current and future projects worth $30.2 trillion (USD).