Global beverage packaging equipment supplier Sidel (Hünenberg / Switzerland; www.sidel.com) has installed what it says is Thailand’s first high-speed aseptic bottling line for local producer General Beverage Company (Nakornpathom / Thailand; www.generalbeverage.co.th). The facility, which Sidel manufactured, supplied, installed and commissioned, is located in Bangkok. Total investment cost for the plant, which will produce high-grade beverages like coffee, tea, milk and fruit juices, amounted to almost EUR 120m.

Sidel said the first stage of construction has been completed, with General Beverage now able to produce PET aseptically filled bottles on a "Sidel SBO20 Universal2eco" blow moulder. The machine can turn out 40,000 bottles per hour and is said to be “the most-advanced, eco-friendly manufacturing system in the region.” Stage two – details of which were not available – is set to be completed by mid-year, with the third and final stage expected to be wrapped up within the next five years.

The line is said to be capable of handling high volumes of beverages of low and high acidity and currently set up to produce a nutritional drink with high dietary fibre, yoghurt and milk in a 280 ml format as well as green tea and juice in 350 ml.

Originally founded as Suwan Spinning and Weaving, a textile manufacturer producing yarn and fabric, the son of founder Kitti Pongsakdi a few years ago decided to set up General Beverage Company. Under the helm of Pongsakorn Pongsak, the company aims to become a leading supplier of aseptic PET filling for both domestic and international players. The regional market for juice drinks, teas and sport drinks is expected to grow by 4% each year over the next four years, with the share of PET bottles to grow by 6%.