Asahi Beverages has unveiled a new canning system at its brewery in Queensland as consumer demand grows for cans over stubbies.
The $60m production line will be capable of rolling out 400 million cans a year, including brands like Great Northern, Victoria Bitter and Carlton Dry.
The Yatala facility, between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, is capable of producing more than two million cans every 24 hours.
Head of Manufacturing at Yatala, Melanie Hignett, said the new line underscores Asahi’s long-term commitment to Australian jobs and manufacturing.
“This new canning line is a major investment in south-east Queensland manufacturing,” Hignett said.
“It’s a big win for beer lovers too because it helps ensure we can meet growing demand for beer cans in Queensland and beyond for many years to come.
“Aussie beer lovers’ increasing thirst for cans over stubbies is creating more great brewery jobs for Queenslanders and some useful sustainability benefits too.”
Sustainability is a priority for Australia’s largest brewery after Asahi made a deal to purchase 40,000 MWh of renewable energy every year for eight years from 2023.
Consumer preference for cans over bottles also delivers sustainability benefits with less energy used to produce aluminium cans while their lighter weight means they can be transported more efficiently than glass bottles.
Five years ago, just 46 per cent of the packaged beer Asahi brewed in Australia was sold in cans but that now sits at 52 per cent and is expected to grow significantly.
The brewery will still produce millions of stubbies each year though.
Asahi competitor Suntory has also invested in Queensland with a $400m production facility in Swanbank, about 40km south-west of Brisbane.
It will begin producing and distributing more than 40 brands from the Suntory Oceania Partnership and is set to officially open in mid-2025.
The 17-hectare site has the capacity to hold over 50,000 pallets of product and has two lines that can fill 180,000 cans per hour.
