Heineken: 5% rise in Asian drinkers by 2015

By Jenny EAGLE

- Last updated on GMT

The Sidel VBL Heineken Vietnam line
The Sidel VBL Heineken Vietnam line

Related tags Ho chi minh city Brewing Ho chi minh

The Asian beer market is the greatest potential for growth in the future, says Heineken as it expands its Sidel canning line. 

The Vietnamese market is the third largest in the region, behind China and Japan. Heineken, whose sales figures for the Asia Pacific region saw dynamic volume growth of 22% in 2011, is focused on further capitalizing on that potential.

Following the success of similar previous facilities built for Vietnam Brewery Limited (VBL), Sidel was asked to install another high-speed, beer-canning line. 

The line was the third in as many years for VBL, of which Heineken is a partner.

90,000 cans within a single hour

The project was delivered ahead of schedule, with shipments coming from different continents​,” said Nguyen Thi Thanh Thuy, regional commercial director, Sidel.

At the same time the team has continued to quicken the time for quoting and supplying spare parts for the existing lines​.

The recent customer order of a third line is a worthy reward for the team’s commitment to deliver on-time parts, services and value-for-money​.”

The first Sidel line is capable of producing 90,000 cans within a single hour (1,500 cans per minute). It was ordered in 2009 and installed in 2010.

It fills 330ml or 500ml cans with Heineken or Tiger beer. The second line, also at the Hóc Môn brewery, is used for 330ml size cans. 

The most recent line produces 330ml cans of Heineken and Tiger beers along with Larue and Larue Export beers at 90,000cph. 

Demand is rising

All three VBL lines comprise fillers, pasteurizers, can dryers, palletizers and depalletizers, conveyors and Sidel’s EIT system (Efficiency Improvement Tool) an automated data acquisition and information system. 

Heineken claims the worldwide beer market has grown over the past few years.  Recent figures show 1.846 billion hectoliters of beer were produced in 2010 - an increase of 29 million hectoliters over the figures recorded during the global financial crisis in 2009. 

However, that growth is not true for all parts of the world. North America and Europe are declining or stagnating at best. Yet in the developing countries of South America, Africa and particularly in Asia, demand is rising.

In Asian countries with large populations, per capita consumption of beer is still relatively low, although, as the standard of living in these developing countries rises, so consumption is expected to grow too.

Increased investment

The Vietnamese as a people enjoy socialising. When they socialise, they like to drink beer. Increasing investment, both domestic and foreign, is generally creating a boost to personal income levels within the country. 

Nearly three quarters of the population are less than 40 years old and one million young Vietnamese turn 18 each year. This means the number of ‘primary drinkers’ targeted by the brewing industry within the country - 20 to 40 years old - is expected to grow by 5% by 2015. 

Vietnam Brewery Limited (VBL) opened its first brewery in 1993, in Ho Chi Minh City. The company is a joint venture between major shareholder Asia Pacific Breweries Limited, Saigon Trading Group (SATRA) and Heineken NV. 

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