Ceepackaging

Investment

Russian brewery about to launch use of plastic kegs

The privately-owned Lipetsk Pivo is one of the first major brewers in Russia to switch to using the kegs. They are delivered to the plant as preforms which are blown to full size, filled, packed and then palletised on a fully-integrated automatic plastic keg line.

Vyacheslav Markov, general director of the Lipetsk Pivo brewery, said: “We know and welcome the advantages of filling and selling our beer in plastic kegs. We are looking forward to hearing what our customers feel about the new packaging.”

The brewery uses equipment from KHS which designed the automatic filling line specifically for the kegs. Production could reach up to two million kegs annually.

The early indications from the trade and consumers are extremely good. As a result, the company plans to develop its share of the keg beer market by increasing production at Lipetsk Pivo.

Lipetsk Pivo produces over one million hectolitres of beer a year.

Compared with metal containers, Petainer Kegs offer substantial benefits to breweries, fillers and other users including low transport costs (especially when the kegs are delivered as preforms), easy recycling and lower environmental impacts.

The kegs can be supplied either as complete, ready-to-fill containers, or as preforms, which are blown to full size on or near the site where they are required. The advantage over traditional kegs is their weight and that they can be ‘blown up’ when required although recycling depends on facilities being available.