Skip to content

Ribena factory plans £6m electrification upgrade

BBC A long line of raspberry Lucozade Sport bottles without labels make their way through a factory on a conveyor beltBBC
Ribena, Lucozade and Orangina are among the drinks produced at the Forest of Dean factory

A Ribena and Lucozade's factory could undergo a £6m investment to electrify the site.

Suntory Beverage & Food Great Britain's plan to shut down its gas turbine at its Coleford facility in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire.

If approved, the revamp would be completed in 2026 and reduce the factory's direct greenhouse emissions by about 58%.

Karl Ottomar, the company's supply chain director, said: "This investment allows us to make significant upgrades, helping us to reduce our carbon footprint but also demonstrating our long-term commitment to the area."

The company said it hopes to work on more environmentally friendly projects in the future, including installing solar panels and heat pumps.

Hundreds of plastic bottles of Ribena make their way through a factory on a conveyor belt, which snakes around
Ribena was first created during the Second World War and has been manufactured in the Forest of Dean since 1947

Mr Ottomar added the company is "proud of the long history its factory has had in the Forest of Dean", which was built in 1946.

"This type of investment that is good for us, our employees and the planet more broadly is what we mean when we say we're 'Growing for Good'," he said.

Matt Bishop, Forest of Dean MP, said the plans were "fantastic news for our local economy and the environment".

Local authorities will conduct a environmental impact assessment to support aims "to minimise any impact to the local environment or community", the company said.

Follow BBC Gloucestershire on Facebook, X, and Instagram. Send your story ideas to us on email or via WhatsApp on 0800 313 4630.

More on this story
Related internet links