[Ardagh] New Furnace For Heinekin Bottles

Ardagh Glass is to double output at its dedicated Heineken beer bottle manufacturing site in the Netherlands by opening a new furnace. The Moerdijk site has served Heineken for the past 10 years and the new EUR 45M furnace, which will enter service in 2009, will help "position both businesses well for the future." The furnace will use oxy-fuel technology to help cut emissions and will also reduce the impact of transportation as it is located close to Heineken's Dutch production plant. Regional operation director John Visser described the new furnace as a "significant development" to consolidate the firms' long-term partnership. Ardagh Glass acquired the Moerdijk site when it purchased Rexam's glass packaging operations in 2007.