Coca-Cola Europacific Partners: Production line for refillable PET bottles put into operation
After approximately a year of renovation, Coca-Cola Europacific Partners Deutschland (CCEP DE) has restarted a production line for 1-liter reusable PET bottles at its Bad Neuenahr-Ahrweiler site in Germany. The modernised facility now fills around 36,000 bph with carbonated beverages such as Coca-Cola, Fanta, Sprite, and their sugar-free variants. This is about 6,000 bottles more per hour than the second reusable bottle line at the plant. The beverage manufacturer has invested around 15 million euros in modernising the existing line in the Ahr Valley and has created a total of 30 new jobs.
Hannes Bessinger, who has been the plant manager at the site since May 2024, is proud of the production line now back in operation: “The modernisation of the old PET refillable line is a positive signal to our employees and the region. With this investment, we have not only increased production capacity but also secured our long-term competitiveness. The plant now has four production lines again—three for refillable glass and PET bottles and one for single-use PET bottles,” said the 38-year-old plant manager.
Successful renovation during ongoing operations
All components of the PET refillable line meet the latest technological standards and operate in an energy- and water-efficient manner, says Coca-Cola. The comprehensive modernisation of the previously decommissioned facility was successfully completed while the plant remained operational. While key components, such as the filler and the washing machine, were already in place, new equipment such as level meters, bottle inspectors, and packing machines had to be installed. Additionally, the connection to essential supply areas, such as the syrup room, was established. Until early 2021, the line was used to bottle Apollinaris brand mineral water.
1-liter refillable PET bottles in the market
The existing production capacities for beverages in refillable PET bottles at nine of Coca-Cola’s 14 regional production sites in Germany are heavily utilised. With the additional line in Bad Neuenahr, seasonal demand peaks as well as maintenance and repair work in the German production network can now be better managed. Moreover, the newly restarted line in Bad Neuenahr enables even stronger, predominantly regional distribution of Coke classics in the Rhineland region.
