PepsiCo, a leader in the food and beverage industry, announced a USD 13 million investment in installing a fully automated production line at its soft drink factory in Dragomirești, Romania. The move is aimed at strengthening the company’s position as a regional production and distribution hub for Central and South-Eastern Europe.

The production line is considered the most automated in PepsiCo’s portfolio in Europe.

“The new line can produce approximately 1 million bottles per day, simultaneously consuming 30% less energy than a conventional line,” said Radu Berevoescu, General Manager & Senior Commercial Director East Balkans, PepsiCo.

Additionally, the company says, the new line produces 60% more beverages per unit of time, using 20% fewer CO2 emissions and reducing water consumption by 30% per liter of beverage produced. At the same time, it contributes to a decrease in the amount of plastic used by approximately 30 tons per year.

The new production line at the Dragomirești factory is equipped with cutting-edge technologies, fully integrated into the automated warehouse flow with the help of robot guidance for handling and storing pallets. This ensures a fully automated process, from bottling to loading onto trucks, eliminating the need for human intervention.

The USD 13 million investment is an essential element of PepsiCo’s 5-year development plan, implemented at the Dragomirești soft drink factory, with a total value of USD 40 million. The initiative focused on enhancing production lines and elevating production capacity to over 800 million liters per year. Additionally, it encompassed the construction of a fully automated warehouse extending over 15,000 sqm, valued at USD 15 million. 

Over the past decade, PepsiCo has directly invested USD 320 million in Romania, reinforcing its position as a key regional production and distribution hub.

irina.marica@romania-insider.com

(Photo source: the company)