Running at full capacity

More efficiency and less energy consumption

September 2024 marked the beginning of the modernisation work at the Hum na Sutli site, starting with the glass draining and demolition of the previous furnace. In addition to the furnace rebuild, Vetropack Straža d.d. installed new, more efficient forming machines and advanced inspection technology at the cold end to ensure consistently high product quality. One particular highlight at the Croatian plant is the first-ever NIS machine with a servo-electric drive, which provides highly precise control of the forming process while reducing energy consumption and noise levels. The newly configured layout is designed to improve overall production flow and allow for increased capacity. As a result of these improvements, Vetropack Straža is now able to meet growing customer demand faster and more efficiently.

Sustainability in focus

“I am pleased to say that the modernisation project was carried out in a very time-efficient way. This allowed us to bring our product back to market very soon,“ says Mario Berc, Technical Manager at Vetropack Straža d.d. “I also want to highlight that this upgrade reflects our dedication to environmental stewardship. The new furnace and equipment are designed to reduce energy consumption and to lower our specific CO₂ emissions, thereby minimising our carbon footprint and contributing to our sustainability goals.”

Symbolic topping out

A special moment during the reconstruction phase took place on Thursday, 21 November 2024, when the last brick was ceremoniously driven into the crown of the furnace. The ceremony, held on-site at Vetropack Straža d.d., was attended by the patrons of the furnace: Minister of the Environment and Green Transition Marija Vučković, Managing Director Darko Šlogar, Finance Director Marija Špiljak, and Production Director Božo Hršak. Together, they used a symbolic hammer to mark the formal completion of the construction phase.

New furnace receives CE marking

In parallel with the technical improvements, the modernisation of the glass furnace also set a new benchmark in terms of safety and compliance. For the first time, a furnace at Vetropack has been certified as a complete technological system under the European Machinery Directive (2006/42/EC) and has received the CE marking as an integrated unit. With this certification, the new furnace at Vetropack Straža plant now fully complies with essential EU health, safety, and environmental requirements – ensuring that it is designed, built, and tested to operate reliably and safely as one cohesive system.