Gas Backup System for Decarbonization

The glass industry is one of the most energy-intensive manufacturing sectors, and for good reason: high-temperature processes require stable, continuous heat input. In glass production, a fuel supply interruption is not just a commercial inconvenience — it can become a serious technical event, affecting furnace stability, production continuity, and plant safety.

That is why energy strategy in glass plants is no longer only about fuel price. Today, it must address two priorities at the same time: operational resilience and emissions reduction.

As energy markets remain volatile and reporting expectations continue to grow, more manufacturers are turning to on-site gas systems as a practical solution. Technologies such as LPG backup systems, on-site SNG (propane-air) generation, gas enrichment systems, and renewable fuel integration (bioLPG, BioSNG, biomethane) help plants maintain reliable operations while building a realistic pathway toward lower-emission production.

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1. Energy resilience first: protecting the process

Before decarbonisation becomes a strategy, resilience must be secured. The natural gas price crisis of 2021–2022 showed how risky it is to depend on a single energy source. For glass plants, where uninterrupted combustion is critical, backup fuel infrastructure is increasingly treated as a process protection measure rather than a secondary utility asset.

In practice, two common approaches are used to create an energy reserve: LPG-based backup systems and on-site SNG systems.

Using pure LPG (propane/butane) is a proven option, but in many cases it may require burner adjustment, recalibration, or modifications, because propane has a higher calorific value than natural gas.

By contrast, SNG (Synthetic Natural Gas) — a controlled mixture of propane and air — can be designed to match the combustion characteristics of natural gas, including the required heating behavior and Wobbe Index. This makes SNG especially attractive for plants seeking a backup solution with minimal disruption to existing burners and automation systems.

For many facilities, SNG offers two key advantages:

• Interchangeability: it can support smoother integration with existing gas infrastructure and combustion systems.

• Cost-effectiveness: on-site SNG systems are often significantly less expensive than LNG backup solutions based on storage and regasification. In many projects, SNG investment can be 2–4 times lower, depending on plant size, scope, and site conditions.

2. Decarbonisation in practice: renewable fuels as a realistic next step

For glass plants, decarbonisation is not only a long-term policy topic — it is increasingly becoming an operational and commercial issue. In the EU, companies face growing pressure related to EU ETS (including MRV requirements), CBAM-related emissions data in relevant value chains, and ESG / CSRD-ESRS reporting expectations. Outside the EU, similar pressure often comes from customers, export markets, group sustainability targets, and financing requirements.

However, many plants cannot immediately move to full electrification or hydrogen-based operation. In this context, renewable gaseous fuels such as bioLPG, BioSNG (bioLPG-air), and biomethane offer a practical transition pathway.

It is important to be precise: the gas system itself is not the decarbonisation outcome. The emissions benefit comes from the renewable fuel used and from the ability to control, measure, and document fuel substitution. This is exactly why modern on-site fuel systems matter — they enable staged fuel switching and blending strategies that reduce emissions while protecting process performance.

4. From backup system to strategic fuel platform

What used to be treated as an emergency backup system is now becoming part of a broader fuel strategy. For glass plants, on-site LPG/SNG systems and fuel conditioning solutions can support:

• production continuity during supply disruptions,

• controlled fuel switching,

• integration of renewable fuels,

• improved fuel traceability and emissions data quality,

• and stronger readiness for customer and regulatory reporting requirements.

In short, these systems help manufacturers move from reactive risk management to proactive energy and emissions strategy.

Conclusion

For glass plants, modern on-site gas systems should be viewed as a strategic infrastructure layer that supports both operational resilience and future decarbonisation pathways. Solutions based on LPG, on-site SNG, gas enrichment, and renewable fuels such as biomethane and bioLPG can help manufacturers protect critical processes, improve fuel flexibility, and build a practical roadmap toward lower emissions—without compromising combustion stability.

We invite glass manufacturers to a professional technical webinar focused on on-site gas solutions for the glass industry—covering both decarbonisation pathways and operational resilience.

The webinar will present practical applications of alternative gaseous fuels, including BioSNG (bioLPG-air), bioLPG and biomethane, as backup, transitional, or primary fuel solutions for glass melting and other combustion-based processes. We will discuss how these fuels can support CO₂ reduction targets while maintaining stable combustion performance and production continuity.

For companies operating in the EU, a key part of the session will address how fuel switching and controlled blending can improve CO₂ accounting and emissions data quality, with relevance to:

• EU ETS / MRV (plant-level monitoring, reporting and verification),

• CBAM-related emissions data (where relevant in the value chain),

• ESG / CSRD-ESRS reporting (traceability and consistency of fuel and emissions data).

At the same time, the webinar is designed for companies both inside and outside the EU. For plants where decarbonisation is not the primary driver, we will also focus on backup fuel systems, on-site SNG generation systems (propane-air), and gas enrichment / calorific value management systems that help ensure fuel flexibility, process stability, and supply security.

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📅 Date: 25 March 2026

⏰ Time: 10:00 (Warsaw time, CET – Central European Time, UTC+1)

🕒 Duration: up to 1.5 hours

📍 Format: Online

🔗 Register for the webinar: registration link – press here

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Article prepared by:

Świętosław Kariuk, M.Sc.Eng.

Sales Manager, I-Maximum Sp. z o.o. – a Polish manufacturer of gas mixers and natural gas enrichment systems, including the MGA-Bio mixer

Head of Working Group 51 of the Polish Gas Chamber of Commerce (IGG) – “Guidelines for the Use of Various Gaseous Fuels to Maintain the Required Quality Parameters at the Final Consumer”