Verallia will add a photovoltaic plant to its factory in Cuarte de Huerva, Zaragoza, after commissioning its first hybrid furnace worldwide in April. The new facility is part of a network of seven solar plants across the Iberian Peninsula that will exceed 58,000 MWh annually and meet nearly 16% of Verallia Iberia’s electricity demand.
Zaragoza factory adds solar power after investing €63 million in hybrid furnace
The Zaragoza photovoltaic plant is part of the factory’s energy modernization, where Verallia launched its first hybrid furnace worldwide in April following a total investment of €63 million. The company is combining renewable generation linked to the production site with melting technology that reduces the use of conventional fuels.
The furnace uses 70% renewable electricity and 30% natural gas or biofuels. According to the company, this combination can cut Scope 1 and 2 CO₂ emissions by around 50%, with the potential to reach 60% depending on the energy mix used.
The Zaragoza factory, located in Cuarte de Huerva, employs more than 200 people and operates two furnaces. At full capacity, it can manufacture up to 1.3 million glass containers a day. Commissioning the new furnace also required upgrades to the electrical infrastructure and the installation of an oxygen production unit to support the hybrid melting process.
Verallia to extend its photovoltaic network to all its Iberian factories
Over the coming months, Verallia plans to deploy three new solar plants in Zaragoza, Seville and Azuqueca de Henares. These projects will join facilities already operating in Figueira da Foz, Burgos, Gran Canaria and Montblanc, creating a network of seven plants connected to its production sites in Spain and Portugal.
Once the new facilities come online, all Verallia Iberia factories will have an associated photovoltaic plant. Combined capacity will exceed 58,000 MWh a year, equivalent to the electricity consumption of more than 16,000 Spanish households.
Renewable generation will cover approximately 16% of the electricity needs of the company’s plants in Iberia. In an industrial activity with high energy consumption, the availability of renewable electricity close to production sites is intended to improve factory efficiency and reduce energy dependence.
Company considers batteries to increase industrial self-consumption
In addition to photovoltaic plants already operating or under development, Verallia is assessing alternatives to optimize the use of the electricity it generates. These include battery storage solutions, which would increase self-consumption at its industrial facilities.
Verallia Iberia’s head of CSR and Communications, Sara Rodríguez, links this transformation to more efficient production and greater integration of renewable energy. The company frames its solar rollout and hybrid melting technology within a strategy to strengthen industrial competitiveness and advance emissions reductions.
In September 2025, the Science Based Targets initiative validated Verallia’s target of reaching net-zero emissions by 2040 under its Net-Zero Standard. The company plans to reduce its CO₂ emissions by 90% and offset the remaining 10% by that year across Scopes 1 and 2, using 2019 as the baseline.
