Drinks maker Diageo has announced a £24 million investment in its Belfast packaging plant due to rising demand for new Guinness products including their Nitrosurge tins.
The global firm will splash out a total of £40.5 million on its beer packaging facilities in the city as well as at Runcorn in England to “ support growth in demand for Guinness products” Guinness Draught, Guinness Zero and Guinness Nitrosurge.
The investment will “expand capacity” at the beer packaging facilities with work set to begin immediately with new capacity expected to be available in 2023.
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Diageo says their facility in Belfast will see its canning production more than double with a £24.5 million investment that will “convert existing warehouses into a new state-of-the-art packaging line capable of producing 72,000 cans per hour”.
The Belfast Packaging is a 12 acre site situated in East Belfast which has been operating for over 30 years, formerly as Irish Bonding. It has around 150 ‘direct employees’.
Diageo says a further £16 million will be invested at the Runcorn site to “significantly upgrade its bottling line and expand warehousing capacity”.
Diageo is “making the investment to meet global demand for Guinness products from domestic and export markets, with the expansion set to support accelerated production and product innovation”.
A company spokesman added: “It will enhance efficiency and competitiveness at both sites. Construction is set to begin immediately with capacity at both facilities expected to come online in 2023.”
The move comes amid ongoing demand for Nitrosurge tins and the device which allows people to drink pub style draught stout at home. The devices were launched in the wake of people using the tins along with jewellery cleaners to recreate draught style Guinness at home. Public demand for low and no-alcohol beers has also surged in recent years.
Aidan Crowe, Operations Director for Beer at Diageo, said: “This expansion is a significant investment in the development of our packaging facilities. The projects in Belfast and Runcorn will support our growth ambitions, helping us to deliver end-to-end product innovation, and reinforce our agility to meet demand and provide excellent service to our customers around the world.”
Deirdre Delaney, Operations Manager at Diageo’s Belfast Packaging site, added: “This is an exciting time for our site in Belfast as we invest in our business to support the growth of our business. We contribute considerably to the local economy in Belfast and the £24.5 investment will further support our supply chains and local communities.”
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