Scheduled to commence operations in 2023, the glass facility is planned to reach its full production capacity of 330,000 tonnes per annum in 2025

glass-g0d4c2f873_1280

Şişecam begins work on glass packaging facility in Hungary. (Credit: Petra Blahoutová from Pixabay)

Turkish glass manufacturing firm Şişecam has begun construction on its €255m green-field glass packaging facility in Kaposvar, Hungary.

The new facility will enable the Turkish firm to launch its glass packaging products in the European market more easily.

Scheduled to commence operations in 2023, the glass facility is planned to reach its full production capacity of 330,000 tonnes per annum in 2025. The glass packaging plant will create more than 330 direct jobs.

Once the facility is commissioned, Şişecam’s total employment in Hungary will be around 650 people, with about 1,000 jobs supported through sub-producers.

Şişecam CEO Görkem Elverici said: “With a €255m investment, this major facility will enable us to introduce our quality glass packaging products to the European market more easily.

“The production site will respond to the glass packaging demands of both Hungary and foreign markets across a wide geography while also boosting Hungary’s exports.”

Şişecam said that the new facility will feature advanced technologies in line with the company’s smart factory vision in terms of both system design and equipment selection, while benefiting from electric melting technology along with natural gas.

Şişecam chairman Ahmet Kırman said: “Şişecam operates in glass packaging with a total of 10 production facilities in four countries and an annual production capacity of 2.6 million tons.

“Most of our international sales are to Europe. The European market accounts for a quarter of the total global glass packaging market. This fact offers major opportunities for the rapid development of the industry and for the expansion of our company’s current production footprint.

“Our Hungarian investment will further strengthen Şişecam’s position in glass packaging. With this new facility, we aim to bolster both the development of the region and our presence in the European glass packaging market by continuously investing in Kaposvar.”

With more than eight decades of experience and 22,000 employees, Şişecam has production operations in 14 countries on four continents and operates a sales network in more than 150 countries around the world.