In a game-changing leap for the global glass industry, Australian company GlassKote FGI Pty Ltd (GK) has confirmed funding exceeding $1.2 billion to construct two of the world’s most technologically advanced low-iron float glass plants.
The first is scheduled to break ground in Queensland, Australia in early 2026, with the second set to follow in the United Arab Emirates later that year.
The dual projects, worth a combined AU$1.2+ billion, aim to redefine how glass is manufactured, integrated, and utilised across architectural, renewable energy, defence, and consumer technology sectors.
According to GK, the facilities will “restore sovereign glass production where it’s needed most — and set new global benchmarks for innovation, sustainability, and AI-driven performance”.
The company’s flagship venture, a 700 tonnes per day (TPD) Low-Iron Float Glass plant in Queensland, will feature an integrated 400 TPD Waste-to-Energy (WtE) mega-plant powered by proprietary Cyrion technology.
The waste-to-energy system will generate green hydrogen and renewable electricity — achieving zero emissions.
The facility will produce ultra-clear low-iron glass for architectural, solar, and specialty markets while integrating Gorilla Glass production for domestic and export use.
Additional features include silicon nanotube composites and a proprietary DNA AI ‘Living Glass’ technology, designed to enable self-healing, seismic-resilient, and energy-optimising glass.
Other advanced lines will focus on laminated, toughened, ballistic, Low-E, and solar-control glass, along with integrated manufacturing for building-integrated photovoltaics (BIPV) and smart glazing systems.
Entirely built on locally sourced materials, the plant reinforces Australia’s position as a key sovereign glass producer and ensures complete domestic supply chain independence.
Following the Queensland mega-plant launch, GK will begin construction of a second 700 TPD standard float glass facility within Australia the following year.
The second project, a 1,000 TPD Low-Iron Float Glass Super-Plant in the UAE, will become the largest and most technologically advanced of its kind in the MENA region.
Its production lines will deliver premium low-iron glass, ultra-thin Gorilla Glass for electronics and automotive sectors, and BIPV smart glass for renewable applications.
Both plants will feature advanced coating systems for oversize laminated, ballistic, and solar-control glass — setting an unprecedented bar for design capability and scale.
In a parallel development, SDH Australia and Cyrion Technologies have unveiled a world-first refractory material that lasts the entire operational lifespan of a float glass plant.
This milestone negates the need for shutdowns or tank rebuilds, creating continuous uptime and dramatically improved environmental performance.
Coupled with near-zero energy costs, the integrated technologies make GlassKote’s new generation plants the most energy-efficient and cost-effective glass manufacturing facilities ever conceived.
The partnership combines AI-driven optimisation, advanced materials science, and circular clean-energy integration.
Together, the two projects are projected to generate over 1,000 new skilled jobs across manufacturing, R&D, and high-tech engineering, with a combined $1 billion annual EBITDA forecast by Year 4.
Core collaborators include Cyrion Technologies Pty Ltd, SDH Australia Pty Ltd, Sustainable Markets Fund Pty Ltd, DNA AI Pty Ltd, Data ESG Pty Ltd, and Enhance Business Solutions (NZ) Limited.
Aleksandar Vasiljevic OAM, Founder & Executive Chairman of GK, said: “We are building the most advanced glass plants in the world — and we’re doing it twice, on two continents.
“These facilities will not only deliver the clearest, strongest, smartest glass ever made; they will drive a new era of sustainable manufacturing, AI-driven materials science, and energy-positive industry.”
GlassKote’s twin projects are expected to redefine global glass manufacturing economics while positioning Australia and the UAE as leaders in low-carbon, high-tech industrial design.
