Brau Union brews more beer for southern Romania

Brau Union Romania, the domestic arm of Dutch group Heineken and the main player on Romania’s beer market, said it concluded an investment project worth 8m euros destined to increase PET beer production at the Constanta-based brewery, which holds a strategic position in the area, posting the highest consumption rate on the market. “Owing to the considerable production capacity increase and the new PET bottling line, we will be able to deliver the necessary beer volumes to Dobrogea region, as well as to the entire southern area of the country, where two thirds of the total beer demand in Romania are concentrated,” said Edwin Botterman, Brau Union CEO and chairman. In the wake of investments that started last September, the annual production capacity tripled from 400,000 hectolitres to 1.2 million hectolitres of beer. The investment programme also included the installation of a new PET bottling line, with a capacity of 15,000 bottles per hour. Rising demand for beer bottled in plastic packaging pushed the group to invest in such a bottling line, says Radu Chitu, chairman of Constanta-based Brau Union brewery. Brau Union last year reported turnover worth 159m euros, amid gross income standing at 5.2m euros. The beer market, put at 600m euros in 2005, is dominated by Brau Union, Ursus Breweries and Interbrew.