Background Glass is a key element in many industries. Worldwide, the average consumption of glass is estimated at around 6 kg per person per year, which rises to 18 kg per person per year in Western Europe. Growth in the demand for flat glass has generally outpaced real GDP growth for the past 20 years. One of the key markets for flat glass is the automobile sector. Unfortunately, the production of flat glass requires high levels of energy and entails the emission of pollutants such as greenhouse gases (GHG). Scope exists to develop a new type of furnace which remains capable of producing high quality glass for vehicles but in a more environmentally sensitive manner. Such a concept also offers opportunities for replication in other industrial sectors that use melting furnaces, such as the steel industry or the cement industry, that produce significant GHG emissions. Objectives The HOxyGas project aims to demonstrate a new type of production system for automotive flat glass that has a lower carbon footprint than comparable systems in terms of reduced fossil fuel consumption and reduced GHG emissions. An innovative process is proposed to produce glass that uses only hot natural gas, oxygen, and a hot oxy-combustion technology. The process involves pre-heating the furnace (to very high temperatures) and the use of natural gas (450°C) as fuel and pure oxygen (550°C) as oxidiser. The beneficiary already has manufacturing technology that uses hot oxy combustion but this is not fully compatible with natural gas. Identifying a technology that provides a more compatible solution is expected to increase furnace energy efficiency and reduce emissions. A key aim of the project is to monitor, document and disseminate information about the new technology’s environmental impact. This information is expected to help promote the replication of this new technology’s environmental benefits in other companies. Expected results Expected outcomes relate to the validation of a new technology that is capable of reducing the environmental impact of conventional techniques used in producing flat glass. The new technology will decreases the use of oxidisers and fuel consumption and pollutant emissions. The main environmental results of the project are: CO2 emissions will be reduced by 5.5% (from some 497 kg/tg to 469 kg/tg, meaning 5964.73 t of CO2 saved per year). Reductions will come from three sources: 61.7% from the glass furnace itself; 28.9% from the raw materials; and 9.3% from oxygen production; NOX: specific emissions will be reduced by 79.2% (from some 4.8 kg/tg to 1 kg/tg), as a result of using pure oxygen instead of air as oxidiser in the production process; SOX: specific emissions will be reduced by 34.5% (roughly from 1.5 kg/tg to 1 kg/tg); Dust (particles): These harmful particles in fumes will be reduced by 67.7% (from some 0.093 kg/tg to 0.03 kg/tg); O2 and N2: oxygen is used in the combustion process, and N2 to create a protective atmosphere in the tin bath, and does not change with the new technology. However as they are produced simultaneously in this process, this will lead to a CO2 saving. Furthermore, the use of hot instead of cold oxygen will induce a reduction of O2 consumption of up to 10%. On-site production of O2 and N2 will offer advantages for this technology because the process does not depend on another site for its supply of these gases. This advantage provides greater autonomy of production and may help replication of the proposed technology.Furthermore, the project expects an average yearly energy saving of 78 565 MWh for the pilot furnace, a 19.7% reduction in energy consumption.