Namibia Dairies invests N$54.5m in new filling line for long-life milk production

Namibia Dairies has invested N$54.5m in a new Tetra Pak A3 Flex filling line to replace its 15-year-old filler, strengthening its ability to meet growing demand with world-class manufacturing technology. The investment is part of the company's commitment to modern food production and long-term supply security. The new line includes a filler capable of running at up to 8 000 packs per hour, a conveyor system, helix accumulator, cardboard packer, and advanced cap application technology.

The new filling line was recently inspected by OL group executive chairman, Sven Thieme, who expressed confidence in the company's people, products, and future growth. He stated that investments of this scale demonstrate Namibia Dairies' commitment to maintaining world-class production standards, supporting local food production, and ensuring the company's competitiveness for years to come.

The filler is the core of the ultra-high temperature (UHT) production process, filling, sealing, and packaging long-life milk and other ambient products under aseptic conditions. This process allows products to remain shelf-stable for six to nine months, compared to six to eight weeks for fresh dairy products. The new line ensures consumers have reliable access to long-life dairy products while maintaining quality and food safety standards.

The replacement of the old filler was necessary due to increasing maintenance requirements and challenges in sourcing replacement parts and service support. The new line improves reliability, reduces the risk of unplanned downtime, and strengthens the foundation for future growth. Additionally, packaging waste is expected to decrease from 4% to 1.5%, and redesigned packaging configurations will reduce stockholding requirements and improve supply chain efficiency.

The investment also creates capacity for future innovation, including 500ml UHT formats and potential expansion into ambient juice categories. The new line will provide a more reliable platform to process increasing milk volumes from Namibian and regional producers. Consumers will benefit from direct injection-moulded caps with tamper-proof ring-pull seals, replacing the previous glue-applied cap system.

The new Tetra Pak A3 Flex filling line is a significant upgrade to Namibia Dairies' ageing infrastructure, which has been in operation for over 15 years. The investment demonstrates the company's commitment to modernizing its production facilities and ensuring a reliable supply of long-life dairy products to consumers.

With the new filling line in operation, Namibia Dairies is well-positioned to meet growing demand for long-life milk and other ambient products. The company's investment in world-class manufacturing technology will enable it to maintain its competitive edge in the market and provide consumers with high-quality products.

Key points

• Namibia Dairies invests N$54.5m in new Tetra Pak A3 Flex filling line to boost long-life milk production.
• The new line improves reliability, reduces packaging waste, and creates capacity for future innovation.
• The investment demonstrates Namibia Dairies' commitment to modern food production, long-term supply security, and competitiveness.