Azerbaijan has opened a major non-alcoholic beverage plant in the Jabrayil district with a planned annual capacity of 250 million PET bottles and 350 million aluminum cans.
President Ilham Aliyev and first lady Mehriban Aliyeva attended the Nov. 6 inauguration of the Sunbeverage facility, according to the Vesti Baku report and the Azerbaijani presidency.
The factory is expected to produce carbonated and still water, iced tea and coffee, lemonade and drinks containing natural fruit juice.
Investment and Jobs
When the project was launched in October 2024, officials said the initial investment was expected to total 35 million manats, or about $20.6 million. The plant was projected to employ about 300 residents returning to Jabrayil once it reached full production capacity.
Those figures were announced as project targets at the start of construction. The Nov. 6 opening statement did not specify the final investment total, the current utilization rate of the production lines or how many employees had already been hired.
The facility is equipped for modern sustainability standards and is expected to use alternative energy sources.
Role in the Local Economy
The plant is intended to create permanent jobs near resettlement areas while generating demand for transport, warehousing and other services in Jabrayil.
Domestic beverage production is also expected to reduce Azerbaijan’s reliance on imported finished products and packaging. The scale of that impact will depend on how quickly the factory reaches its planned capacity and how much local material is used in the production chain.