Australia: Asahi invests in new canning system at Queensland brewery

Asahi Beverages has unveiled a new canning system at its brewery in Queensland as consumer demand grows for cans over stubbies, The Shout reported on May 2.

The $60m production line will be capable of rolling out more than two million cans every 24 hours, including brands like Great Northern, Victoria Bitter and Carlton Dry.

With the capacity to produce 400 million cans a year, the new line significantly boosts the canning capacity at the Yatala facility between Brisbane and the Gold Coast, which is Australia’s largest brewery.

Having created more than 200 jobs during its construction, and 28 full-time jobs on-site, 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. 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,” Hignett stated.

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 although that number is expected to grow significantly, the brewery will still produce millions of stubbies each year.

Hignett added: “We think the trend is inspired by their versatility, their affordability and their prevalence within craft beer.”

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.

Sustainability remains a priority for Asahi, which made a deal to purchase 40,000 MWh of renewable energy every year for eight years from 2023.

Another drinks giant, 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.

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