Fiskars is making a EUR10 million investment in the Iittala glass factory as part of the group’s target to reduce climate emissions.
Fiskars is seeking to increase operational efficiency, and invest in renewable energy, at the glass factory in Hämeenlinna, Finland. The factory – where Iittala’s iconic glass products are manufactured for sale in Finland and globally – will have its existing, natural gas-powered furnaces replaced with electricity-powered furnaces.
These new furnaces incorporate high technology solutions and will use renewable energy. The project will start next year and be completed during 2026. With this investment, the glass factory will reduce its annual carbon dioxide emissions by 74 per cent by the end of 2026.
“Sustainability is a key enabler of Fiskars Group’s Growth Strategy. The Iittala glass factory has been a pioneer in the Finnish glass industry since 1881, and we are proud to continue investing in its future and in our local operations by reducing emissions,” says Nathalie Ahlström, president and CEO of Fiskars Group.
Approximately 30 per cent of the total investment will be covered by the European Union’s NextGenerationEU funding granted by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment of Finland on 4 October 2022. This energy investment aid to the Iittala glass factory is EUR 2.871 million.
“We are very pleased to receive this funding for the Iittala glass factory’s transition to production methods with lower emissions. The EU funding, together with our own investments, will reduce the factory’s annual carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 10,000 tons or 74 per cent. Also the plant’s nitrogen oxide and fine particle emissions will be significantly reduced,” Ahlström continues.
In addition to reducing the factory’s carbon dioxide emissions, the new furnaces will also decrease the energy consumption of the glass melting furnaces by 67 per cent. The furnaces are responsible for most of the factory’s total energy consumption.
Fiskars Group has set a target to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from its own operations (Scopes 1 and 2) by 60 per cent from a 2017 base year by 2030. In addition, the company is committed to reducing GHG emissions from transportation and distribution (Scope 3) by 30 per cent from a 2018 base year.
The Iittala glass factory, founded in 1881, is the only glass factory still in operation in Finland. It employs around 200 people in Hämeenlinna.
One of Finland’s most internationally known glass items, the Aalto vase designed by Alvar Aalto, is mouth-blown at the factory. The factory’s glass workers also make, for example, the birds designed by Oiva Toikka and many popular tableware items. The Iittala glass factory is open to the public.
