Glass Melting Technology: A Technical and Economic ... - OSTI

hazardous waste containment, recycling and soil remediation, or revisit innovative
technologies detailed in Chapter IV “Innovations in Glass Technology.”
V.4. Economic strategy
From an economic perspective, the need for advanced glass melting technology becomes
clear in the following ways.
• Change the style of relative non-cooperation among companies and segments. Work
together on the current major problem, which is an inability to generate margins high
enough to replace its own capital assets. Industry segmentation, competition, and
intellectual property right disputes are obstacles that must be overcome.
• Develop a pre-competitive advanced melting concept within the industry. This will
provide opportunity to syndicate risk and cost at an early stage on more revolutionary
projects. Development of a radically new glass melting system that is commercially
viable could cost well in excess of $100 million. With current low returns for producing
most types of glass, few, if any, companies are willing to spend this much money alone.
Should one large company be willing to invest in development of a viable system, other
members of the industry could buy the technology at a reasonable price.
• Develop industry-wide strategy.
Industry experts recommended a three-phase approach:
Phase I
Conduct a proof-of-concept to investigate the validity, feasibility and economic return of
selected projects. Government funding could be justified by citing environmental
constraints, energy efficiency, job availability, national security, and glass industry
competitiveness. The current state of the glass industry will not support financial
commitment to needed technology development.
Phase II
Build a demonstration facility with cooperative funding.
Phase III
Provide proven technologies to major glass companies to incorporate them into their
capital plan (license).
Collaboration between suppliers and glass manufacturers would broaden the scope of
possibilities. If the entire glass industry and its supply industry were to come together in
a coherent and concerted effort to craft and execute a meaningful and practical strategy,
the results could be powerful.
V.5. Conclusion
“The glass melting process is ripe for drastic change.”
Ray Richards, Affiliated Technical Consultants
Based on recommendations from the industry experts who participated in the workshop
on glass melting and processing and guided by the goals for 2020 in the “Glass Industry
Road Map,” economic and technical considerations and recommendations are compiled
96