Life Cycle Assessment of Glass Fibre Production
topic
Cradle-to-gate LCA of glass fibre production quantifies global warming potential of 2.0 to 2.5 kilograms CO2 equivalent per kilogram, primary energy demand of 40 to 50 megajoules per kilogram, and water use of 10 to 20 litres per kilogram, with furnace melting energy representing 60 to 70 percent of total production energy; natural gas furnace transition to electric melting and hydrogen firing pathways can reduce production carbon intensity by 50 to 70 percent.
Role
Provides the environmental benchmark data for glass fibre production against which alternative reinforcement fibres including basalt, flax, and bio-based fibre alternatives are compared, informing material selection decisions in sustainable composite product design and identifying the furnace energy decarbonisation pathway as the highest priority for glass fibre industry carbon footprint reduction.