Glass manufacturer Cardinal Glass Industries has announced plans to deploy the world’s first carbon capture installation at a float glass manufacturing plant, selecting its facility in Winlock, Washington, for the landmark project.
The system is designed to capture approximately 130,000 metric tons of CO2 per year, removing up to 95% of targeted emissions from the facility’s high-temperature manufacturing process streams.
With feasibility, design, and engineering phases already complete, Cardinal has issued purchase orders and paid deposits for long-lead equipment. Commercial operations are targeted for the first quarter of 2029.
The project is privately funded, with Cardinal currently exploring future commercial markets for the captured biogenic CO2.
Additionally, Cardinal and its engineering partner, Italy-based K2-CO2, have patented a specialized system that enables the recovery and utilization of additional gases from the furnace flue stream.
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Adapting carbon capture technology to float glass manufacturing presents unique technical challenges due to the extreme heat and continuous operation required by glass-melting furnaces.
Working alongside K2-CO2, Cardinal adapted existing absorption technologies to meet the demanding requirements of industrial float glass production, deploying specialized controls and instruments to monitor real-time capture rates.
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Once operational, the project will allow Cardinal to lower the embodied carbon of its glass products, helping architects and developers satisfy increasingly stringent low-carbon building specifications.
Bowie Neumayer, President of Cardinal Glass Industries, framed the Winlock project as the initial step in a broader long-term strategy for the company’s manufacturing footprint.
“The Winlock project gives us a defined first installation, a concrete operations target and the opportunity to generate the performance data needed to evaluate future deployment across additional float glass lines,” Neumayer said.
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