Those who toast with a beer or wine bottle may not imagine that the glass container could have originated in Campo Bom, a city that lies 50km away from Rio Grande do Sul’s capital. It is in this municipality that Verallia, a French glass container manufacturer for the food industry, announced on Tuesday, the 23rd, the opening of its first sustainable furnace, which generated an investment of about 111 million euros (around R$692 million in current quotation) in Brazil.

“Picking Brazil to receive Verallia’s first HeatOx furnace shows our confidence in the local market and in the growth potential for the food and drink industry in the country”, affirms Quentin Testa, Verallia’s CEO in Latin America.

Investment that aims for productivity

The new furnace features the latest generation of production systems, which will double the production capacity for Rio Grande do Sul’s unit, increasing from 600,000 to 1.3 million packaging units per day.

“This represents a meaningful expansion in supply for wines, champagnes, and whole grape juice, besides opening space to service new segments such as hard liquor, beer, and solid foodstuffs”, says Verallia’s CEO in South America.

The company has as clients Ambev, Coca-Cola, Heineken, Salton, Aurora, Nestlé, Diageo and Velho Barreiro.

With 129 years of acting in Brazil, Verallia sports three factories – Campo Bom (Rio Grande do Sul), Porto Ferreira (São Paulo), and Jacutinga (Minas Gerais) – and a creation center for the development of new products.

The new investment on Brazilian soil has also generated more job opportunities in the region: 108 new workstations have been created in the country’s south, which will be added to the other 825 workers in Brazil. “The new workers will act as production operatives, maintenance and automation technicians, security staff, and internal logistics quality inspectors”, says the CEO.

The furnace to reduce CO2 emissions

Developed in a joint partnership with Air Liquide and Air Industrie Transition, the furnace utilizes HeatOx technology, which pre-heats oxygen to 550 °C and natural gas to 450°C, utilizing the leftover exhaust gases from the process itself. This innovation increases thermal efficiency, reduces oxygen and fuel consumption, and allows for an electric energy complement to diminish reliance on fossil fuels further.

The results are expressive: up to a 20% reduction in CO2 emissions when compared to traditional furnaces. According to Testa, this is the first ever furnace with such technology operating in the world, a significant mark that puts Brazil as the center of Verallia’s global decarbonizing strategy.

“This project shows our commitment to match advanced technology, environmental performance and local development. We are proud to contribute to Rio Grande do Sul’s economic dynamics and to service strategic sectors such as wine, liquor, beer, and foodstuffs with innovative and sustainable solutions”, affirms the CEO.

Brazil and Latin America in the global strategy

In 2024, Latin America accounted for 12.4% of Verallia’s global sales, generating 428.3 million euros, representing a 7.9% increase from 2023 (396.8 million euros). Globally, the company made 3.4 billion euros in profits.

“With the Campo Bom furnace, we have reinforced our role as a strategic partner to the Brazilian industry of wines and beers, while simultaneously expanding our capacity to act in other drink and food segments sustainably”, says Quentin Testa, Verallia’s CEO to Latin America.

Patrice Lucas, CEO of the Verallia Group, also highlights the importance of investing in the Brazilian market.

“The start of operations of the Campo Bom furnace is a meaningful step in Verallia’s journey towards decarbonization in its productive processes and acceleration of innovation in our markets. This project reflects our ambition to invest in sustainable technologies, in strengthening our presence in strategic regions, and to work side-by-side with communities and local partners”, says Lucas.

The origins of Verallia in the world

Verallia comes from France. It was born as part of Saint-Gobain, an industrial group founded in 1665 by decree of King Louis XIV, which has been a worldwide reference in glasswork for centuries.

Saint-Gobain Glass Packaging's specific branch was restructured and renamed Verallia in 2007, then operating as an independent division focused on the production of bottles and pots for food and beverages.

In 2015, Saint-Gobain sold Verallia to the Apollo Global Management fund and to French public bank BPI France, thus marking the definitive separation from the original group. A few years later, in 2019, Verallia went public on the Paris Stock Exchange (Euronext), consolidating its position as an independent multinational company.

With over 11,000 workers and 34 factories in 12 countries, they are European leaders in the industry and the third-largest glass packaging producers for the food industry in the world. They offer innovative, personalized and environmentally responsible solutions to over 10 thousand companies worldwide.

In 2024, Verallia produced approximately 16 billion glass pots and bottles, generating profits of € 3.4 billion.