Azerbaijan, Baku, 13 October / Trend corr. U.Ismayilova /Baltic brewery OJSC is to invest $20mln into re-equipment of the Baku-Castel (Khirdalan based brewery) brewery in Azerbaijan until summer 2009,ї Anton Artemyev, President of the Baltic, said at the news-conference implemented to familiarize with plans of investment companies into the brewery.
їWe will try to invest the main investment volumes until the mid of 2009 in order to enter the Azerbaijani market with a new beer production. Our main mission is not to increase Balticїs share in the market, rather to increase production quality,ї Artemyev said.
Baltic has been implemented deliveries into Azerbaijan since 2000 and at present, takes 3.5% of local beer market, being a leader in beer import sphere. At present, the share of Baku-Castel in Azerbaijanїs market is 74% and 70% is formed at the expense of Khirdalan beer and 4% is Baltic production.
In 2007, six litres of beer fell per head in Azerbaijan, which is less compared to other CIS countries (54 litres), Europe (80 litres) and the United States (about 100 litres). In the next three years, the annual beer use will increase to 12-14%.
їAzerbaijanїs choice, despite of small use of beer by the population, is related to perspectives in this country. Baku-Castel plans to export commodities in 2009 to Georgia, Middle Asia and Russia is not excluded,ї said Artemyev.
Some 0.7mln giga-litres of beer is produced by the Azerbaijani plant and the figure is planned to increase to 2mln giga-litres per year.
The deal between Braesseries Internationales Holding Eastern Ltd and Baltic on purchase of Baku-Catel in Azerbaijan was reached in September. The Azerbaijani bankїs share package was purchased at $9.5mln.
As for 2007, the companyїs export sales were increased by 14%, and growth of the Baltic brand made up 17%. Baltic plans to keep the production of local beer brands, in particular Khirdalan beer, which are of great demand. The production of the `national traditionallyї beer, `arsenal-traditionї and Baltic -3,5,7 and 9 will be produced in the plant.
Baltic unites 11 breweries in Russianїs nine regions. Companyїs main owner is the Baltic Beverages Holding.
Baku Castel was opened in 2000. Then, plantїs beer production capacity was 6mln deca-litres per year and with capacity to increase the production capacity to 10mln deca-litres.
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