ASIA – Singapore based food and beverage company, Fraser and Neave (F&N) has made a return to the Myanmar beer market with the inauguration of the Emerald Brewery Myanmar Limited after investing US$70 million in the beer production joint venture.
Emerald Brewery is a joint venture between F&N and local partners which the Singapore based firm had been running jointly until it exited the business in 2015 selling its stake to Japan’s Kirin Holdings.
F&N has made a comeback. The company has established a greenfield brewery located in Hlegu Township in Yangon, to brew the Chang Lager brand. The brewery has an annual beer production capacity of 500,000 hectolitres.
The company will run the brewery in conjunction with local partner and Thai Beverage, its strategic partner.
F&N board executive committee chairman Koh Poh Tiong said, “We are pleased to re-establish F&N’s presence in Myanmar’s beer market and our investment reflects the great potential we see in this fast-growing market.
“We have worked swiftly to build our new brewery, operations and business; and are confident that our two decades’ experience in Myanmar will propel our new venture forward.”
Edmond Neo, F&N CEO, beer added, “Our ambition is to make EBML one of the leading breweries in Myanmar. Together with our local partner and Thai Beverage public Company Limited, the opening of this world class brewery bring is a step closer to this shared vision.”
F&N capital investment was deployed to build the brewery, grow logistics including sales and distribution operations as well as driving market capabilities.
The company has also invested in new technology to improve efficiency and productivity of the brewery. In addition, the brewery features energy and water saving technologies.
The company notes that upto 30% of the brewery operations will be run by solar energy. EBML will also implemented initiatives to reuse and recycle water and packaging bottles.
Emerald Brewery’s facility will pack and distribute Chang Beer Lager in five formats; 330 ml and 500ml beer cans, 320 ml and 620 ml bottles and 30 litre keg.
F&N said that the brewery will also be able to accommodate in production capacity in the coming years.
