FDBusiness.com

International brewer Molson Coors is planning to invest £175m in its fourUKsites. It will increase current investment aimed at modernising its site atBurton-on-Trentby £15m annually over the next five years. Molson Coors will also spend £5m at its Sharp’s brewery inCornwalland invest on its other twoUKsites.

The investment at the site atBurton-on-Trent, which is theUK’s largest brewery, will involve the introduction of new packaging facilities, to cater for the growth in off-premise beer consumption, and energy and water saving technology. Molson Coors (UK&Ireland) aims to save 1 billion litres of water by 2012 and to reduce its energy consumption by 20% by 2020.

“The beer industry is under great strain with breweries closing down and one fifth of theUKbeer market disappearing in just six years. This major investment is recognition that we have to keep on modernising to ensure that we remain competitive in a tough market place,” comments Mark Hunter, chief executive of Molson Coors (UK&Ireland). “Brewing is a significant part ofBritain’s manufacturing base and of our manufacturing heritage. The brewing industry remains under pressure and is likely to be without government help for the foreseeable future.”