Josh Brooks / packagingnews.co.uk

Crown looks to Chinese growth
with two more can plants

Metal packaging giant Crown is to build two new beverage can plants in China and upgrade a third as it looks to cash in on the rapidly-growing market.

The business announced yesterday that it would build plants in Zhengzhou, in central China, and Changchun in north-east China that will each produce 720m two-piece aluminium cans every year.

The Zhengzhou plant will produce 33cl cans and will be operational in early 2013, while the Changchun facility will produce both 33cl and 50cl cans when it starts up later that year.

Crown’s plans mean that it will have a total of ten facilities in China. Five are already operational, while a further three are currently being built.

CROWN Asia-Pacific president Jozef Salaerts said: “The consumer market in China is growing at a rapid pace.

“Adding facilities in Zhengzhou and Changchun demonstrates Crown’s commitment to support our customers’ growth in this critical market.

“The plants are also a testament to the increasing popularity of beverage cans in the region and the value they bring to consumers from both the convenience and sustainability perspectives.”

Crown is also planning to add a second line at a plant already under construction in Putian, in western China, to produce 33cl and slim 25cl drinks cans.

The new line is planned to be running in early 2013 and will double the plant’s projected capacity to 1.4bn cans per year.