Carlsberg UK partners with Sidel for line relocation, integration

Carlsberg UK has transferred its beer production from Leeds to its brewery in Northampton, which is being expanded to serve a capacity of  almost seven million hectolitres. Size constraints on the bottling hall and challenging requirements call for a high level of engineering, relocation and integration expertise. The company has selected Sidel, which will also supply the brewer with a partially new line and space-saving equipment.

The fourth largest beer brewer in the UK, Carlsberg holds around 16% share of the total UK beer volume. It was one of the few brewing companies to increase their sales despite an overall consumption decrease of 5% in 2011. The economic uncertainty, increasing raw material prices and higher beer taxes, have led to even more challenging conditions in the beer market. Consumers have changed their drinking habits from on-trade to at-home consumption, leading to a decline in on-trade.

 At the same time, consumers – more and more of them female – are becoming more adventurous and ask for new exotic brands, especially in the premium segment. One of the reasons for the brewer’s stable position is the its proactive strategy in setting new trends, as well as its quick reaction to market developments. “Our trading environment calls for flexible solutions. We must be able to quickly change packaging styles and formats and integrate them in our existing lines,” explained Richard Kingdom, Capital Projects at Carlsberg. 

The Northampton building is located very close to the town centre, making it easily accessible for employees and visitors. But the location also involves some space constraints for the layout of the new packaging facility. Whilst the wet part of the glass line will be relocated from Leeds, Sidel will provide a new and space-saving dry part of the line. The proximity of Sidel’s Hatfield facility was another added-value for Carlsberg. During the building extension phase at Northampton, the overhaul of the main equipment was carried out in Sidel UK by Sidel and Carlsberg engineers. This assured top-quality maintenance as well as reduced project execution time. The glass line is designed for 300-ml bottles and will process 60,000 bottles per hour. It is equipped with a new modular SL90 labeller, replacing the two previous labellers. The SL90 benefits from all options for pressure-sensitiCrazy Explosive Boost 2017 PK Low