In line with Consol's strategic imperatives & as a key deliverable to the Capacity Investment critical success factor, comes the announcement of the intention to invest in a new greenfield glass factory valued at R1.4BN. The additional capacity will increase Consol's output by around 25%, taking total glass production to over 1M/tpa, (over 4BN glass containers). The location of the site has not yet been finalised, but Consol confirmed the area of Gauteng has been earmarked. The new factory is expected to be commissioned in the last quarter of 2009. It is envisaged that the factory will be designed initially to be a 2 furnace operation, each with an output of 400/tpd. South Africa has been experiencing a glass packaging shortage but the current state of affairs is anticipated to stabilise by early 2008 post the commissioning of Consol's Clayville C4 furnace. Consol is dedicated to investing in the capacity necessary to meet demand and this investment, which will go down as a major milestone in Consol's history almanac, is another sign of their commitment to customers, consumers and the South African market.
