Car manufacturers are among several businesses in Europe facing a shortage of glass as a result of rising energy costs, according to the Wall Street Journal via Business Insider, which reported that Volkswagen is stockpiling glass components such as windows and windscreens amid the worsening supply chain crisis in the region.
A shortage of natural gas from Russia due to its restricted export to Europe could result from the former’s ongoing conflict with Ukraine, and European businesses requiring significant volumes of glass are preparing for a possible glass shortage from the situation. according to India Business & Trade.
Glass production involves the melting of sand, soda ash and limestone, and the energy required to do this in Europe largely comes from Russian-supplied gas, the report wrote.
According to industry analysts, a serious shortage of glass could cause another supply chain disruption like those previously set off by the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, the subsequent post-lockdown demand as well as the aforementioned Russia-Ukraine conflict, the report cited the Wall Street Journal as reporting.
Further complications can arise from the gas supply uncertainty, notes India Business & Trade; the manufacture of glass cannot be stopped abruptly mid-process as the hot liquid glass would cool and harden, leading to equipment breakdowns, it noted. “You cannot just turn the machines off,” said Bertrand Cazes, secretary-general of lobby group Glass Alliance.
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