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Swire Coca-Cola has officially commenced operations at its state-of-the-art plant in Kunshan, Jiangsu province, on 26th May and at its intelligent green production base in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, on 27th May.
Launched just 24 hours apart, these two world-class manufacturing facilities are set to advance Swire Coca-Cola’s nationwide production and supply network. Their back-to back openings underscore the Group’s unwavering commitment to meeting evolving consumer demand across the Chinese Mainland and pioneering green and smart manufacturing.
The facility in Kunshan Economic and Technological Development Zone is one of Swire Coca-Cola’s largest single strategic investment projects in the Chinese Mainland to date. Together with the Greater Bay Area (GBA) Intelligent Green Plant in Guangdong, the two plants are collectively housing more than 20 modern production lines, with an expected annual production capacity exceeding 3.1 million tonnes.
Combined, they form a best-in-class production base for Swire Coca-Cola, one that strengthens the company’s ability to serve the Chinese Mainland consumer market with innovative and high-quality beverages, while creating employment and contributing to local economic development.
Karen So, Chief Executive Officer of Swire Coca-Cola, said, “The successive commissioning of our Kunshan and Guangzhou plants means much more than a 10% increase in Swire Coca-Cola’s existing beverage production capacity. It also reflects the systematic capability building we are undertaking to capture long-term growth in the Chinese Mainland consumer market.”
“From the Yangtze River Delta to the Greater Bay Area, and onwards to Central China and Hainan, Swire Coca-Cola is steadily refining its nationwide strategic footprint while taking concrete actions to deliver the 2023 commitment to invest more than RMB 12 billion in the Chinese Mainland over the coming decade,” So said.
“We believe that a company's long-term development must synchronise with the high quality development of the market that it serves. This conviction underpins our continued deep commitment to the Chinese Mainland market,” So added.
Strengthening Regional Footprint and Market Responsiveness
The Yangtze River Delta and the GBA are among the regions in China with the strongest economic vitality, consumption potential and industrial synergies. The new Kunshan plant is located in the core hinterland of the Yangtze River Delta, connecting Shanghai, Suzhou and surrounding markets. Meanwhile, the Guangzhou Greater Bay Area Smart Green Production Base is firmly anchored in South China, drawing on the open, diverse and highly connected market environment to bolster the Group’s supply and service capabilities in the region.
As consumers seek higher quality, more innovative and diverse products, the beverage industry faces greater demand for production flexibility, supply efficiency and product portfolio management. Supported by the modern production capabilities of its two new plants, Swire Coca-Cola is well positioned to respond to an increasingly sophisticated consumer market.
Advancing Green and Intelligent Manufacturing
In response to the national initiative of “AI plus manufacturing”, both production bases have been designed and built to high standards of green and intelligent manufacturing, integrating big data and artificial intelligence to drive automation in production, digitalisation in operations and precision management.
On the sustainability front, both plants are guided by LEED Gold building standards, the Alliance for Water Stewardship (AWS) framework, and zero-waste-to-landfill goals, systematically advancing energy conservation and carbon reduction, water recycling and resource management of waste.
Notably, the Greater Bay Area Intelligent Green Plant is equipped with a fully automated warehouse, increasing space utilisation by approximately 235% compared to traditional models. In the land-intensive Greater Bay Area, this translates to more efficient storage and production coordination within a smaller footprint, providing a practical reference for the industry to explore intensive land use and efficient operations. At the same time, the base utilises a smart energy management system for real-time monitoring and optimisation of energy use, further reducing carbon emissions while enhancing operational efficiency.
Driving Regional Industrial Synergy and Contributing to High-Quality Development
Beyond expanding Swire Coca-Cola’s own production and supply capabilities, the commissioning of the two new plants is expected to strengthen the coordinated development of upstream and downstream industries such as packaging, logistics, equipment and food technology. The resulting regional industrial clustering is expected to generate new local employment opportunities and wider benefits for the local economy.
As a global bottling group with a long-established presence in the Chinese Mainland market, Swire Coca-Cola has long aligned its own growth with the sustained growth of the markets it serves. The opening of the Kunshan and Guangzhou facilities demonstrates the Group’s commitment to supporting regional economic development through tangible investment, driving industrial upgrading through sustainable and technology-driven manufacturing, and enabling consumption upgrading through an efficient and resilient supply system.
Swire Coca-Cola will continue to work closely with governments, customers, suppliers and other stakeholders to enhance the quality of its products and services, promote more resilient and sustainable business growth, and contribute to the long-term, high quality development of the Chinese market.
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The facility in Kunshan Economic and Technological Development Zone is one of Swire Coca-Cola’s largest single strategic investment projects in the Chinese Mainland to date.
The Guangzhou Greater Bay Area Smart Green Production Base is firmly anchored in South China to bolster the Group’s supply and service capabilities in the region.
Modern production line at Swire Coca Cola’s Kunshan plant
The Greater Bay Area Intelligent Green Plant is equipped with a fully automated warehouse, increasing space utilisation by approximately 235% compared to traditional models.
Karen So, CEO of Swire Coca-Cola (right) and Hunter Jin, CEO, Greater China, Swire Coca-Cola (left) celebrate the opening of the new plants.
About Swire Coca-Cola Limited
Swire Coca-Cola is a division of Swire Pacific Limited, which is listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited (stock code: 00019/ 00087). As the fifth largest Coca-Cola bottler in the world, Swire Coca-Cola holds the exclusive right to manufacture, market and distribute products of The Coca-Cola Company across 11 provinces and the Shanghai Municipality in the Chinese Mainland, as well as in the Hong Kong SAR, Taiwan Region, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos and an extensive area of the western United States. The relationship with Coca-Cola began in 1965 with Swire’s acquisition of the majority shareholding in the Hong Kong bottling company. Today, Swire Coca-Cola manages and operates 41 production facilities and manufactures over 60 beverage brands. Its franchise territory covers a population of more than 940 million, with annual sales exceeding 2.3 billion unit cases. Visit Swire Coca-Cola's website at www.swirecocacola.com