“In the context of European sustainability goals, glass plays an increasingly important role,” explains project leader Donald Eshuis. Because glass has better insulating performance, Glas Trösch even expects demand for this type of glass to grow 8 percent per year up until 2030.
 
"Yet at the same time, the European production capacity for glass has decreased in recent years," Donald Eshuis continues. To rely less on producers in far-away markets, the Swiss company is keen to expand local production capacity in Flanders.

After considering various sites, it turned out, Flanders – the city of Lommel in particular – was the ideal location for the new glass plant. The 35-hectare brownfield site offers many opportunities, and the proximity of sand quarries, the multimodal logistics network, the availability of suitable industrial sites and a well-skilled labor market complete the picture. As Mayor of Lommel, Bob Nijs is delighted that the Swiss company chose the city:

If all goes well, construction of the plant will start in 2024 and production is set to begin in the course of 2025. The new plant can supply over 300,000 homes a year with glass and will create 300 direct and 1,000 indirect jobs. The glass produced in Flanders is mainly destined for Belgium and its neighboring countries.