In the energy-intensive glass and ceramic manufacturing industries, decarbonizing the heating and firing processes is a major challenge. Hydrogen is one technology that holds promise for replacing natural gas. However, the technology is still under development and is years away from being commercially available on a broad basis, says Erik Muijsenberg, vice president of Glass Service, Inc. a Vsetin, Czechia-based consulting firm that works with glass and ceramic makers to optimize their furnace technologies.

“I see a very big future for hydrogen, but not in the next 10 or 15 years,” Muijsenberg says.