SABMiller Aurangabad capacity up 400% at 84 lakh cases

New Delhi, Apr 13 (UNI) SABMiller India, country's second largest beer manufacturer, today announced the completion of Phase 1 of the modernisation project at its brewery at Aurangabad in Maharasthra, which will increase the plants annual capacity by more than 400 per cent to 84 lakh cases per month.

SABMiller India Managing Director Richard Rushton said, ''The expansion at the brewery is part of our endeavor to modernise and improve production efficiencies at all facilities, making them world-class. This integrated process will enable the brewery to achieve economies of scale thereby achieving record levels of production.'' Phase 1 of the modernisation, which becomes operational today, includes improvement in the glass bottle packaging line, brewhouse, storage and fermentation tanks and other associated utilities.

Further, a wastewater treatment plant, including modern ultra and reverse osmosis filtration systems that will enable recycling of treated wastewater for service water requirements, also becomes operational today.

The modernisation is also expected to create additional indirect employment of almost 50 per cent in bottle handling and warehousing operations.

Phase 2 of the modernisation will begin in May, 2006 and is expected to be completed by February 2007.

This modernisation project is part of the company's plans to invest over 125 million dollars over 5 years in modernising improving efficiencies in its breweries in India.

SABMiller India, which recently took over Shaw Wallace's beer business, has brands like Haywards 5000, H2K, Castle Lager, Knock out and Royal Challenge in its portfolio.

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