In order to In order to maintain competitiveness, the glass industry faces the challenge of developing technologies and operational practices that guarantee “low energy consumption” and / or “low-energy cost” production processes, while reducing operational costs and complying with all the environmental regulations within the territories where it operates. For many years Vitro's preferred fuels for glass melting operations have been natural gas and heavy fuel oil. However, in Mexico, the price for these non-renewable fuels has become highly volatile and has been increasing since 2000, making the search for alternate fuels a major priority for the company, and within this context, the seeking of the use of petroleum coke as a possible solution to the problem. Petroleum coke is a solid waste by product of the petroleum refining industry and its production is projected to continue to increase, due to the fact that many refining plants are undergoing or planning process conversions in order to obtain higher value products; light fuels. Between May 2000 and December 2001, Vitro set up test facilities and undertook a series of pilot tests in order to demonstrate the technical feasibility of using petroleum coke as an alternate fuel for the glass industry. Several laboratory and industrial tests were carried out during this period with successful results. A new combustion technology process was developed for three types of regenerative glass furnaces: glass containers end port and side port, and float flat glass side port. Pilot tests confirmed the technical and economical feasibility of the use of petroleum coke and paved the road for the industrial implementation. During the development of these tests, several technologies and specific applications were developed, such as: 1) supply & logistics; 2) fuel grinding and handling; 3) fuel reception, transportation and storage; 4) solid fuel firing; and 5) environmental pollution control systems. Since the beginning of the project, continuous financial valuation studies were developed to determine the economical viability of the endeavour. For this purpose, a very detailed valuation model was configured and used in parallel to the technical efforts; investment and cost analysis data has been gathered, upgraded and updated at the different stages of the project life. Between 2003 and 2005 projects to implement at industrial level the whole set of technologies in the first operation plants where developed.
