Hybrid burner successfully tested: electricity and gas in one flame

Glass, ceramics and metals require a great deal of heat around the clock. Today, this heat is almost always supplied by fossil natural gas. Rising CO₂ prices and stricter climate targets are putting operators under pressure, but fully electrifying many furnaces is not yet feasible.

The PlasmaAir hybrid burner offers a middle ground: it combines electrical plasma energy with the heat of chemical combustion in a single system. The ratio of electricity to gas can be adjusted as required. When renewable electricity is available at a favourable price, the electrical share increases. The burner adapts to your energy situation, rather than the other way round.

How it works: A 50 kW-class direct-current plasma burner uses oxygen as the plasma gas to generate an extremely hot plasma jet. Natural gas is introduced at the burner outlet and fully oxidised. Because oxygen is used instead of air for combustion, the nitrogen ballast is eliminated. The result is a concentrated, directional high-temperature jet.

Proven in testing: In September 2026, PlasmaAir successfully operated the prototype in an industrial application, either as a hybrid burner or as a pure oxy-fuel burner. Total outputs of approximately 112 to 125 kW were achieved, comprising around 35 to 42 kW of electrical plasma power and around 78 to 84 kW of chemical power. In a direct comparison at the same gas flow rate, plasma-assisted operation produced a significantly narrower, more directional jet than the gas flame alone.

The burner was developed as part of the EU-funded GIFFT project, which aims to reduce CO₂ emissions in glass manufacturing by up to 75%. PlasmaAir is responsible for the heart of the system.

For operators, this means energy flexibility in the face of fluctuating prices, gradual decarbonisation without a complete furnace rebuild, and fuel flexibility—from natural gas today to hydrogen tomorrow. The burner is designed for both new installations and retrofitting existing industrial furnaces.