Bacardi, the Bermudian-based drinks giant, has completed the world’s first commercial production of a glass spirits bottle fuelled by hydrogen in a trial that took place earlier this month.

The company said it worked with premium glassmaker, Hrastnik1860 of Slovenia, to pioneer new technology that powered a glass furnace with hydrogen as its primary energy source and in doing so cut the greenhouse gas emissions typically produced as a by product of glass bottle production.

The new St Germain elderflower liqueur bottle is identical in appearance to the bottle produced using traditional methods and will reach bars and stores in the coming weeks, Bacardi said.

Over the course of the trial, which produced 150,000 of the brand’s glass bottles, hydrogen contributed more than 60 per cent of the fuel for the glass furnace, cutting GHG emissions by more than 30 per cent, the company said.

“Piloting this lower carbon glass production is another example of Bacardi leading the industry in environmental best practice,” says Rodolfo Nervi, vice-president, safety, quality and sustainability for Bacardi.

“We will take the learnings from the trial to help shape a pathway to hydrogen-fuelled glass production and create a blueprint for others to follow. It’s only through making change as an industry that we can bring significant change to our impact on the environment.”

Peter Čas, CEO of Hrastnik1860, added: “Successfully producing lower emission, premium glass bottles at a commercial scale, with absolutely no compromise on quality, has made all the hard work worthwhile.

“Like Bacardi, we are committed to developing new innovations that lower emissions while maintaining premium quality. This revolutionary technology proves the two can go hand in hand and we are now taking the first steps in bringing it to market.”