Spirits company, Bacardi has completed production of a glass spirits bottle fuelled by hydrogen in a trial at glassmaker Hrastnik1860’s Slovenia facility.

Bacardi worked with Hrastnik1860 to pioneer new technology that powered a glass furnace with hydrogen as its primary energy source and in doing so cut the Greenhouse Gas emissions typically produced as a byproduct of glass bottle production.

The bottle, which for the purposes of the trial was the St-Germain elderflower liqueur bottle, is identical in appearance to the bottle produced using traditional methods and will reach bars and stores in the coming weeks. 

Over the course of the trial, which produced 150,000 of the brand’s 70cl glass bottles, hydrogen contributed more than 60% of the fuel for the glass furnace, cutting GHG emissions by more than 30%.

Rodolfo Nervi, Vice President, Safety, Quality and Sustainability for Bacardi, said: “We will take the learnings from the trial to help shape a pathway to hydrogen-fuelled glass production and create a blueprint for others to follow. 

"It’s only through making change as an industry that we can bring change to our impact on the environment.” 

Peter Čas, CEO, Hrastnik1860 added: “Successfully producing lower emission, premium glass bottles at a commercial scale, with absolutely no compromise on quality, has made all the hard work worthwhile. 

"Like Bacardi, we are committed to developing new innovations that lower emissions while maintaining premium quality. This technology proves the two can go hand in hand and we are now taking the first steps in bringing it to market.”