Glass container manufacturer Arglass has secured more than $230m in capital to construct a second furnace at its campus in Valdosta, Georgia, US.  

The company raised a mix of structured equity and debt to fund the development of a facility projected to be completed by the second quarter (Q2) of 2025. 

This new facility will have the capacity to produce more than 350 million sustainable glass containers annually. 

It will feature advanced technology, including AI-integrated real-time data monitoring, predictive modelling, and fully automated closed-loop production and quality assurance systems. 

These technological advancements will enable the facility to simultaneously produce up to eight different types of glass containers.  

This flexibility will allow for smaller production runs, quicker response to market demands, lower inventory levels, and reduced investment in moulds. 

The plant will be powered by a hybrid gas, electric, and hydrogen oxyfuel furnace with the capability of melting 490 tonnes of glass daily.  

A solar power installation will contribute an extra 5MW of power to the plant.

With sustainability in mind, Arglass will leverage green hydrogen to cut carbon dioxide emissions and a closed-loop water system to reduce industrial waste. 

The plant will also house an on-site post-consumer glass recycling plant, which will supply post-consumer glass cullet for new container production. 

The company leverages its proprietary Arglass Biogenic glass composition, which substitutes traditionally mined materials with a carbon-negative biogenic component sourced from the ocean. 

Construction of the facility will be supported by the Valdosta Lowndes Development Authority and the Georgia Department of Economic Development.