Turkish glass maker Sisecam to invest $310M in Hungary

By Tuba Sahin

ANKARA (AA) - Turkish glass manufacturer Sisecam is establishing a glass packaging factory in Hungary with an investment of €255 million ($310 million).

The facility with two furnaces will have an annual net production capacity of 330,000 tons, according to a statement sent to Turkey's Public Disclosure Platform (KAP) on Monday.

The first furnace will start operating in 2023, and the facility will reach full capacity by 2025.

Chairman Ahmet Kirman said Europe offers great opportunities for rapid development of the glass manufacturing sector, and Sisecam. "The investment will meet the increasing glass packaging demand in Hungary and (other countries in) Europe," he said.

He added that Sisecam has 10 production facilities in four countries, with an annual production capacity of 2.6 million tons.

Kirman said Sisecam continued its investments despite the coronavirus pandemic, and the company's flat glass production capacity surpassed 2 million tons in Turkey.

"We plan to boost its flat glass production capacity in Turkey by 25% to over 2.5 million tons by the end of 2024," he added.

Founded in 1935, Sisecam operates in the fields of flat glass, glassware, glass packaging and chemicals with nearly 22,000 employees in 43 plants across 14 countries. It sells its products in over 150 countries.