Metal packaging products supplier Crown Holdings is to increase beverage can capacity at its Osmaniye plant, in central southern Turkey with the installation of a new production line.
The expansion plans come in response to increasing demand for cans in the country, where sales of empty beverage cans exceeded 2.6 billion units last year, and surrounding countries, the company said.
Expected to become operational in the first quarter of 2017, the new line will be capable of producing close to 900 million two-piece aluminum beverage cans in multiple sizes annually.
With the addition of the new line, the Osmaniye plant's annual production capacity will be more than doubled from the current 800 million beverage cans to over 1.7 billion cans.
Crown Bevcan Europe & Middle East senior vice president Peter Lockley said: "We are extremely pleased with strong customer demand throughout the region. The plant is well located to supply customers in both Turkey and neighboring countries.
"The aluminum beverage can is an ideal container as it is easy to carry, chills quickly, and is 100% recyclable and sustainable. The Osmaniye plant has operated efficiently from the outset, and the addition of a second line was anticipated when the facility was planned."
The beverage cans produced at the plant are supplied to customers in Turkey and neighboring markets.
Besides the Osmaniye plant, Crown also operates a beverage can plant in Izmit, where it manufactures a wide range of aluminum can sizes.
In February this year, Crown announced plans to build a new beverage can plant in Monterrey, Mexico, its fourth in the country, to cater to the increasing demand.
Capable of producing two billion cans every year, the facility's design will enable further expansion and will be equipped to produce two-piece aluminum cans in multiple sizes.
Image: The new line will produce close to 900 million two-piece aluminum beverage cans in multiple sizes. Photo: courtesy of Salvatore Vuono / FreeDigitalPhotos.net.
