Beta Glass's furnace capacity upgrade at its Agbara, Ogun, Nigeria plant is on schedule to be completed in June 2020.

The $30 million investment will include a new furnace from German engineering group Horn and an extra line from Italy's Bottero group. It will increase the plant's capacity by an extra 35,000 tonnes and pioneer the use of the Narrow Neck Press and Blow (NNPB) technology in West Africa.

This will enable Beta Glass to bring lightweight, non-returnable glass bottles to the Nigerian market for the first time.

Beta Glass operates two plants in Nigeria ­- the other is its Delta plant in Delta state ­- and has an output of 1.5 million bottles a day. Its products include beer, spirits, soft drinks, pharmaceutical and cosmetics
glass jars and bottles, which  range in size from 28ml to 1.5 litres.

The new furnace will bring total capacity to 750 tonnes per day and have four production lines. It will bring the total number of lines at the plant to eight.

The furnace has a planned life of 12 years and will replace an existing furnace, which will end its life next year.

The project also includes the latest inspection equipment which will further increase operational efficiency. Darren Bennett-Voci, Managing Director at Beta Glass, said: "We are delighted by the progress we have made so far on the expansion project.

"Our investment in this facility reaffirms our deep faith in Nigeria and the high growth potential of West Africa. "The furnace will enhance our ability to meet the growing demand for glass bottles and jars in Nigeria and across West Africa. It will create a number of jobs, both direct and indirect."

Beta Glass Chairman, Otunba Abimbola Ogunbanjo said: "The new furnace will enable us to leverage the latest technology and our technical expertise to make world class glass packaging products in Nigeria.

"It will promote sustainability and improve our environmental footprint."