Diageo has announced an investment totalling £40.5 million to expand the capacity of their packaging facilities in both Belfast and Runcorn, to support the growth of Guinness Draught, Guinness Zero and Guinness Nitrosurge.

The facility in Belfast will see its canning production more than double with a £24.5m investment that will convert existing warehouses into a new state-of-the-art packaging line capable of producing 72,000 cans per hour. A further £16m will be invested at the Runcorn site to significantly upgrade its bottling line and expand warehousing capacity.

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Diageo is making the investment to meet global demand for Guinness products from domestic and export markets, with the expansion set to support accelerated production and product innovation. It will enhance efficiency and competitiveness at both sites. Construction is set to begin immediately with capacity at both facilities expected to come online in 2023.

Commenting Aidan Crowe, Operations Director for Beer at Diageo, stated: "This expansion is a significant investment in the development of our packaging facilities. The projects in Belfast and Runcorn will support our growth ambitions, helping us to deliver end-to-end product innovation, and reinforce our agility to meet demand and provide excellent service to our customers around the world."

Deirdre Delaney, Operations Manager at Diageo's Belfast Packaging site, added: "This is an exciting time for our site in Belfast as we invest in our business to support the growth of our business. We contribute considerably to the local economy in Belfast and the £24.5 investment will further support our supply chains and local communities."