Crown Holdings a leading supplier of metal packaging products worldwide, is to build a new beverage can plant in Sihanoukville, Cambodia to meet growing demand. Sihanoukville is on the Gulf of Thailand approximately 200 km from the Cambodian capital, Phnom Penh. It is the country’s primary commercial port and is also enjoying growing tourism.

The new plant will be sized to accommodate multiple can lines and have an initial annual production capacity of 725 million two-piece 33cl aluminium cans.

The facility is expected to be operational in the third quarter of 2013 and will be Crown’s second beverage can plant in Cambodia including its two line operation in Phnom Penh.

“Cambodia is growing at a steady pace and this in turn is driving increased demand for our customers’ products, and we are experiencing a preference on their part for two-piece aluminum beverage cans,” commented Jozef Salaerts, President of Crown Asia-Pacific.

“This newest investment is supported by a long term contract with a major brewer and is consistent with the Company’s growth plans.

“Crown has been manufacturing beverage cans in Southeast Asia for more than 40 years and this expansion project underscores our commitment to support the growing needs of our global and regional customers and to help them continue to build their brands in the region.”

Crown currently operates seven beverage can plants in Southeast Asia. The company has one plant each in Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand as well three plants in Vietnam (one in Hanoi and two in Ho Chi Minh City).

Earlier this year the Company announced plans to build a new beverage can plant in Danang, Vietnam which is expected to begin commercial production in second quarter of 2013.