PRESS RELEASE
Poznań, 12 August 2014
A new 60,000 bottle-per-hour packaging line up and running in Poznań
Last autumn Kompania Piwowarska commenced the development of a new ferment station and
a packaging line at the Poznań Brewery. The investment project worth more than PLN 100m is
now complete and the bottle line, one of the most advanced and environment-friendly in all
SABMiller breweries, is working full steam.
The investment in the new fermentation plant and packaging line was intended to improve the Poznań
brewery’s flexibility and management efficiency in the production stages between brewing and
shipping the beer out of the brewery site. The new set up is particularly favourable in producing
smaller beer lots including test batches of innovative products.
The construction of the new packaging line took seven months. It covers an area of 5,000 square
metres and it fills 500ml returnable bottles. It was commissioned as early as in April this year, and it
has been running full steam for some time now. Its target capacity equals 60,000 bottles per hour. The
investment project does not only mean improved operations of the whole brewery but, thanks to the
appliances and solutions used on the line, it also sets a higher standard of safety and environment
protection at the stage of beer packaging.
Hygiene first
As it is crucial to keep the highest hygiene standards, Kompania Piwowarska has fitted its new
packaging line in Poznań with the so-called clean room. Being the first such solution in SABMiller
Europe, the clean room is a separate chamber with an atmosphere of sterile air and lower
temperature. Its conditions are comparable to an operating theatre. The clean room houses all the
machines used for filling and closing the bottles with crown caps (the so-called monoblock). Its
temperature, humidity and pressure, which disallows external air to leak inside, are kept on a constant
level. Apart from the monoblock, the clean room also has a tightly sealed exit from the bottle washer
as well as bottle conveyers and full and empty bottle inspectors.
‘Micro purity is hugely important in the beer brewing and packaging process” says Wojtek Mrugalski,
communication manager at Kompania Piwowarska. We have always paid great attention to the
matter and now, as we have such units as the clean room, it is going to be even easier. KP reputation,
beer lovers’ satisfaction and, first and foremost, beer quality are largely based on purity. And as far as
beer quality goes, we never compromise or cut corners on it’ he adds.
As regards the new packaging line, it is also important to note the issues of environment protection
and efficiency. Thanks to its state-of-the-art equipment and solutions that entail optimized packaging
on the new line, Kompania Piwowarska can be proud of a very low consumption level of such services
as water and energy. The company has applied solutions that enable it to achieve a very high
standard of steam consumption control and, hence, very low heat losses. The most advanced
automation of the line plays a very important role too. All these factors together contribute to the high
efficiency of the line.
Notes to the editors:
Kompania Piwowarska - leader of the Polish beer industry
Kompania Piwowarska is the leader of the Polish beer industry in Poland. A team of excellent
professionals, several hundred years’ experience and modern technologies guarantee highest and
unchanged quality of the beer brewed in KP breweries. The company's brand portfolio includes bestselling Polish beers: Tyskie, Żubr, Lech, Dębowe Mocne, Redd's as well as international premium
brands, Pilsner Urquell and Grolsch, and specialities including Tyskie Klasyczne brewed in line with
traditional recipes and the Książęce collection. Fans of non-pasteurised beer can enjoy beer straight
from the brewery (Tyskie straight from the tank) offered in selected outlets. Since 2013 the KP product
portfolio sports a novelty: the Green Mill Cider produced from 100% apple juice. Kompania
Piwowarska, established in 1999, operates three breweries (in Tychy, Poznań and Białystok) and
depots across the country. Kompania Piwowarska has been one of the leading sports sponsors for
many years and it is engaged in a number of social programs, addressing poverty-based social
exclusion as well as educational programs promoting responsible and moderate drinking. In the fiscal
year ended on 31 March 2014, KP sales volume amounted to 13.3 mill hectolitres. Kompania
Piwowarska is part of the international SABMiller brewing group.
SABMiller – one of the largest brewers in the world
Kompania Piwowarska is part of SABMiller plc, one of the world's largest brewers with brewing
interests or distribution agreements across six continents. The group's international portfolio of brands
includes premium international beers such as Grolsch, Miller Genuine Draft, Peroni Nastro Azzurro
and Pilsner Urquell, as well as market-leading local brands such as Aquila, Castle, Miller Lite, Snow
and Tyskie. SABMiller is also one of the largest Coca Cola bottlers outside the US. In the year ended
on 31 March 2014, SABMiller reported US$ 34.1 billion in revenues and EBITA of US$ 6.45 billion.
SABMiller plc is listed on the London and Johannesburg stock exchanges.
Enquiries:
Monika Dymek
public relations specialist
Kompania Piwowarska
ul. Szwajcarska 11, 61-285 Poznań
Landline + 48 61 66 77 473
Mobile + 48 695 614 243
fax + 48 61 66 77 850
monika.dymek@kp.sabmiller.com
www.kp.pl