Glass Futures’ £54m Centre of Excellence nears completion

The 165,000 sq ft research facility in St Helens will be operational later this year, capable of producing up to 30 tonnes of glass per day – equivalent to 60,000 wine bottles.

Work started on the Global Centre of Excellence in January 2022, with contractor Bowmer + Kirkland on track to complete construction this month.

Internal fit-outs of the net-zero glass production hub will start next month under Network Space Developments’ revival of the 14-acre site, once home to United Glass.

Designed by Aew Architects, the Global Centre of Excellence is the result of a partnership between research organisation Glass Futures, Liverpool City Region Combined Authority, UK Research & Innovation, and St Helens Council.

The facility will provided research provision for the decarbonisation of the glass-making process.

Glass Futures secured a £7.1m contract in 2020 to investigate alternatives to gas in glass production. The organisation has provided the £54m scheme with a £20m investment, along with unnamed investors.

UKRI provided the scheme with a £15m grant for the development of a low-carbon furnace, while Liverpool City Region’s Combined Authority provided £10m from its ‘Build Back Better’ fund to support construction.

Richard Katz, chief executive of Glass Futures, said: “We’ll be able to collaborate with our global membership, academic researchers, and industry leaders to continue our trials into alternative energy sources, raw materials, and technologies to demonstrate decarbonisation solutions for the foundation industries.”