Why we upgraded Agbara plant — Beta Glass

As part of efforts to grow production in a bid to optimally serve West and Central African markets, one of the leaders in the glass container industry on the African continent, Beta Glass has upgraded and engaged in the cold repair of the GF1 Furnace of the Agbara plant of the company.

The project, which was led by Jagdish Agarwal, the Chief Operating Officer of Beta Glass was concluded within a record 32 days; running between May 20 to June 22, 2024, and involved glass-to-glass phasing to repair and rebuilding the 60 square meter furnace with the help of 95 skilled engineers from Europe, Asia, as well as the local Beta Glass Nigerian team.

According to Mr. Agarwal, the repair is set to increase production by 30 tons, while also extending the lifecycle of the furnace by 8-10 years at just 30% of the cost of a major rebuild.

He added that, “This achievement highlights the ability of Beta Glass to grow sustainably and effectively, whilst at the same time, continue implementing cost-improvement initiatives to better serve customers across West and Central Africa, adding that the company has been evolving for the past 50 years into a key player and leader in the glass container manufacturing industry across West and Central Africa. ”

Since its incorporation as Delta Glass Company LLC in 1974, the company has grown significantly and consistently, reaching key milestones in the past five decades, expanding and optimising operations into the 21st century with the addition of a second furnace to its Guinea plant in 2002; increasing the output from 200 to 300 tonnes per day due to a furnace expansion project in 2021.

The company, with Dr. Vitus Chidiebere Ezinwa, an experienced leader with over 27 years of experience in diverse global corporations across 15 African countries as the chairman of its Board of Directors, currently operates three best-in-class manufacturing plants in Nigeria, boasting a daily capacity of 720 tonnes per day and annual production of 650+ million bottles and jars, as well as the capacity to produce 3.2 billion crowns and 5.5 million crates with over 1,500 employees across facilities.

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Speaking on the upgrade, Dr. Ezinwa while initiating the heat-up process of the newly repaired GF1 Furnace noted that, ”In my capacity as Chairman of the Board, I had the honour to activate the most recent operational update of Beta Glass. This significant milestone celebrates our Company’s unwavering commitment to expanding production capacity and capabilities while maintaining the highest product quality.”

And in furtherance of its mission to drive exceptional consumer experiences across West and Central Africa, the company has expanded its efforts to champion a greener Nigeria with initiatives focused on recycling, sustainability, and educating the public about environmental responsibility, including a collaboration with the Food and Beverage Recycling Alliance (FBRA) and Recycling Scheme for Women and Youth Empowerment (RESWAYE) to establish glass aggregator centres in strategic Lagos locations.

It will be recalled that the company recently announced a partnership between Beta Glass and Wecyclers –an accomplished waste management company in Nigeria for the launch of trucks to collect cullet; recycled broken or waste glass, to recycle and reuse in the glass manufacturing process, thus conserving valuable and finite raw materials and further minimising the Company’s environmental footprint.

Speaking on the high environmental standards and the company’s leading sustainability efforts, the CEO of Beta Glass, Mr. Darren Bennett-Voci, said that, “We are not just suppliers; we are partners in progress, dedicated to setting new standards in the glass container manufacturing industry.”

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