This multimillion-kina investment started in 2022 and was completed earlier this year, with the first bottle run on 12 July 2024.
CCEP PNG’s Sales and Commercial Director Tim Solly, said the new production line reflects the long-term investment the company has made and continues to make in Papua New Guinea.
“Since starting our operations in Lae over 30 years ago, this new PET line compliments the existing three (3) production lines we have here and in Port Moresby for both cans and PET plastic bottles.”
Solly said that in the last few years, there has been a consumer shift, with increasing preference towards beverages in bottles which has led the company to install this new line.
With a capacity to produce 13 million-unit cases to the customers, the line produces 36,000 bottles per hour. It also has in-built sensory features that reject bottle defects before being filled with sizes ranging from 300ml to 500ml packs. The beverage range includes consumer favourites such as Coca-Cola, Sprite, Fanta, and Solo.
Solly said CCEP PNG is proud of the footprint the brand has in the country as well as providing employment.
“We provide direct employment to a workforce of over 500 employees and remain a leading company that has maintained our workforce, despite external factors such as the global pandemic as well as the current tough economic challenges that we share with all businesses here in PNG.”
“We are the face that makes our nation's favourite beverage brands a reality and are firmly invested in our local economy and the communities we operate in. Our focus is on building portfolios defined by relevance and choice.”
In delivering his keynote speech, Executive Director of the Conservation Environment Protection Authority Brendan Trawen commended CCEP on the expansion.
“Firstly, I would like to commend CCEP and The Coca-Cola Company for taking the initiative to achieve this multi million expansion project since 2021 and 2022.
