PETpla.net Insider 04 / 2010

BOTTLING / FILLING 30 PET planet insider Vol. 11 No. 04/10 www.petpla.net On top of the world Tibet Glacier produces water from the Roof of the World – bottled by three Krones lines Tibet Glacier Mineral Water Co. Ltd. is the first company to have succeeded in bottling mineral water from Tibet, in south-west China, and launching it on the Chinese market. Three Krones lines have been installed at the company’s bottling plant near the Tibetan capital of Lhasa, located a mere 14,300ft (4,600m) above sea level. The water source itself is even higher still, rising from the Nianqing Tanggula mountains at 5,100m. The plant’s elevation and distance from its main markets presented some significant chal- lenges that had to be overcome, including transport, air pressure differences, the thin air in the factory and even for computer equipment specifications. Hong-Kong-based Mineral Water Resources Ltd., the parent company of Tibet Zhongji Jiahua and Tibet Gla- cier, opened the plant in 2006. It did so after a ten-year planning period, during which time it investigated water sources all over the Tibetan plateau. While it is one of the least-polluted areas left on earth, Tibet is also very remote. It is sur- rounded on all sides by mountains, including the Himalayas in the south. Communications have never been good – but they are improving, quite significantly, in some respects. A key catalyst for the launch of the Lhasa plant was the opening of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway on July 1, that year. Up until that time, the only route to market was a tortuous journey by truck via the ‘Friendship Highway’ to Nepal, to the south-west. It took two to three weeks, or even more. The rail line enabled delivery from Lhasa to Beijing in two or three days and provided Tibet Glacier with a viable option for accessing the growing cities of China, 2,000km to the east. A distinctive taste The new mineral water, 5100, is named for the spring’s altitude. At RMB8 (€0.80) for a 500ml bottle in super- markets, it is priced for the premium market. However, the retail segment is the minority; 80% of sales are to restaurants, hotels, golf clubs, night clubs and the restaurant cars of China’s high-speed trains – the places where the rowing middle classes are to be found. The Qinghai-Tibet plateau is also home to one of Buddhism’s three sacred lakes, the ‘Heavenly Lake’ of Namtso. Tibet Glacier water’s micro-element and mineral constituents appeal to the Chi- nese market’s attachment to traditional, herbal and natural medicines and health products. The main sales are in 330ml bottles. In order to set itself apart and to create a distinct visual identity for its upmarket clientele, Mineral Water Resources Ltd worked with Krones’ PET design team in creating a distinctive square-shaped bottle, carried through 330, 500, 1,000 and 1,500ml sizes. For Tibet Glacier, the 5001. A very special kind of water