Swedish food processing and packaging solutions company Tetra Pak on Wednesday added Viet Nam to its global supply chain map by inaugurating the countrys first-ever aseptic carton packaging material factory in the southern province of Binh Duong.

Built at a cost of 120 million euros (US$135.4 million), this is Tetra Paks eighth factory in the Asia Pacific region, and will produce aseptic cartons for domestic and export markets in Southeast Asia, Australia and New Zealand.

“[It] is a strong testimony to our long-term commitment to Viet Nam,” Adolfo Orive, president and CEO of Tetra Pak, said.

The plant has an expandable capacity of 20 billion packs per annum of the popular Tetra Brik Aseptic and Tetra Fino Aseptic packages.

The factory is one of the first in Viet Nam to apply the latest, most-demanding environmental standards set by the globally-recognised Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Gold certification.

With an energy monitoring system and water recycling facilities, it could reduce energy usage by 36 per cent and reuse over 21 million litres of water a year. The production and warehouse facilities are climate-controlled.

The factory has key certifications for quality, environment and safety including ISO 9001, ISO 14001and ISO 45001.

Jeffrey Fielkow, managing director, Tetra Pak Vietnam said: “This is a proud moment for us, which coincides with yet another historical milestone, as we celebrate the completion of 25 years of Tetra Paks presence in Viet Nam.

“With the new factory, we feel even more strongly connected to Viet Nam and our customers, and even more confident of shaping the future of the industry together.”

The liquid food market in Viet Nam has been growing at 6 per cent annually for the last three years, and is projected to grow at a similar pace for the next three compared to 4 per cent in the Asia Pacific and 3 per cent globally.— VNS