The number of new container glass plants built in Western Europe over the past 10 years can be counted on the fingers of one hand. Of these, two have been built by one company, Quinn Glass. Quinn's second factory, at Elton, was commissioned in 2005. One of its most unusual aspects is the size of the operation, with two massive furnaces. EME installed the plant in a short period of only 16 months. The specification called for a batch house producing up to 1600 tonnes batch in 16h to supply the two melting furnaces. It had to be capable of producing both flint and coloured batch. The sheer size of the installation made it necessary to use an in-line concept. Silo capacity at the plant holds more than 4000/t sand, 1500/t soda ash, 1000/t limestone & 2500/t cullet.
