Coca-Cola Europacific Partners (CCEP) has announced a £42.3m investment at its factory in Wakefield.
The investment will fund the construction of a new automated storage retrieval system (ASRS) warehouse at the site, which is Europe’s largest soft drinks plant by volume.
The new ASRS will take two-and-a-half years to build. When complete, the 38m tall unit will more than double the holding capacity of the site, to almost 60,000 pallets.
This will also reduce the number of vehicle journeys CCEP trucks will need to make by 18,500 per year. This was equivalent to 441,000 fewer kilometres on the road per year, CCEP said.
It comes after CCEP installed a new high-speed canning line at Wakefield, at a cost of £31m, last year.
The site has received £103m in investment since 2019 to enhance efficiencies and operate more sustainably, according to CCEP.
“The new ASRS warehouse ensures we continue expanding our production capabilities as we look to the future, and operate as efficiently and sustainably as possible,” said CCEP’s Wakefield director of supply chain operations Vanessa Smith. “This follows on from the installation of our state-of-the-art canning line, which became operational this summer.
“In addition to improving the sites capabilities of our lightweight cans, the new line and latest investments underscore our commitment to our Wakefield site and the 550-strong workforce who work here.”
Simon Lightwood, MP for Wakefield and Rothwell, added: “CCEP continues to play an important role in and around Wakefield. It’s fantastic to see the business invest in delivering more efficient and sustainable operations, which show’s the organisations commitment to being a major employer in West Yorkshire.”
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