New $22 million canning line launched at Coca-Cola’s Richlands factory

Beverage business Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) Australia has opened a new $22.2 million line (pictured) at Richlands, able to make 2,000 canned drinks per minute, and announced a planned “multi-year $75 million investment” to “supercharge” output of Monster Energy Company’s caffeinated beverages at the same location.

In a statement on Thursday, CCEP said the new addition to the Queensland site is its “most efficient can line to date” and can can drinks in a variety of formats, including Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Sprite and Mount Franklin Lightly Sparkling.

“It’s important to us that we’re continually improving our operations to drive efficiencies, both in terms of sustainability and costs,” said CCEP Australia’s Managing Director, Orlando Rodriguez.

“These latest, state-of-the-art investments in manufacturing technology at Richlands represent a leap forward in productivity, safety, quality, and environmental stewardship, which are key pillars of our business and essential to our future.”

According to the statement, the new line will conserve an estimated three Olympic-sized swimming pools or more of water annually versus other canning lines, and is expected to reduce energy consumption by about 23 per cent versus what it replaced due to the ability to fill at room temperature instead of needing refrigeration.

Richlands is one of 20 CCEP-managed sites in the state.

CCEP added that virtual reality had been used as part of a “rigorous design validation process” at Richlands, refining equipment layout and helping to identify and address potential safety risks.

The separate project on a new Monster Energy products canning line is scheduled for completion in mid-2025.

Picture: supplied

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