Diageo has announced plans to invest £40.5 million to expand its packaging facilities in both Belfast and Runcorn.

The company said this week that the investment would “support the growth of Guinness Draught and Guinness Zero”.

 The facility in Belfast will see its canning production “more than double” with a £24.5 million investment that will convert existing warehouses into a packaging line capable of producing 72,000 cans per hour. In Runcorn, a £16 million investment at the site will be used to upgrade the bottling line and expand warehousing capacity.

Diageo said it is making the investment to meet global demand for Guinness products from domestic and export markets, with the expansion set to “support accelerated production and product innovation”.

Both facilities are expected to come online in 2023. 

Aidan Crowe, operations director for beer at Diageo, said: “This expansion is a significant investment in the development of our packaging facilities. The projects in Belfast and Runcorn will support our growth ambitions, helping us to deliver end-to-end product innovation, and reinforce our agility to meet demand and provide excellent service to our customers around the world.”