Slovenian group Steklarna Hrastnik is to undergo a two-month refit. Technologists at the Vitrum-owned business unit have shut the G and H melting furnaces. They will be replaced by a 7M/Euros oxy-fuel fired glass melting furnace with higher capacity and improved energy efficiency. The new furnace will be driven by oxy-fuel combustion technology that uses pure oxygen to combust natural gas. German company Nikolaus Sorg will construct the furnace. The melting furnace will have a similar capacity as furnaces G & H combined, between 80-90/tpd. Commissioning is planned to take place after the refit in March 2013. Burners in the furnace will be installed transversally to the direction of glass melting and will supply a mixture of natural gas and pure oxygen.
