Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) has announced a €35 million investment to support a new high-speed canning line built with the aim of providing additional production capacity while reducing energy, water, and CO2 consumption.
The company says that its new state-of-the-art canning line, which will be operational in 2024, will be capable of producing 2,000 cans per minute. The new line will provide additional production capabilities for CCEP’s lightweight 330ml cans, and advanced technologies will be incorporated into the line in a bid to help minimise energy, water and CO2 consumption.
Energy and water savings will reportedly come from innovations such as air rinsing capabilities, dry lubrication on conveyors, and an auto-sleep function on motors. In addition to the 500-strong workforce at the site, CCEP says that the new line will create 28 roles and additional training to upskill the workforce.
Funding will also go towards infrastructure upgrades to optimise the factory for production and future innovations. This will include the construction and fit of a new raw materials storage warehouse, plus additional utilities storage and the expansion of other facilities on site. It also supports the recent implementation of attached cap production capabilities on two of the site’s lines.
In tandem with this announcement, CCEP also claims to be focused on attracting more diversity to its workforce.
As part of these efforts, the bottler has opened up multiple vacancies which will also include roles for the new line at CCEP’s site in Wakefield specifically for those with little or no experience of working in manufacturing. The business’s apprenticeship programme has also evolved over recent years, targeting all ages and skill levels to open up pathways for those looking to step into the world of work, or change career direction.
Stephen Moorhouse, Vice-President and General Manager at Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (GB), comments: “The latest development at Wakefield is a milestone investment that will allow us to take the next step in our sustainability journey while making positive contributions to our local community here in Wakefield.
“Wakefield is our largest manufacturing site, offering a wide range of modern manufacturing jobs and sitting at the heart of many of the latest manufacturing technologies. As a result, in just five years, we’ve invested more than £100 million into the factory, helping us to accelerate our path to net zero and support the local economy.”
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