Brian Colgan, Site Director Little Island, Pat O’Connor, Engineering Manager PEPSICo, Jennifer Quinn, Engineering Director PepsiCo, Anthony O’Rourke, PMGroup Incoming CEO and Mike McLoughlin, Associate director Health Safety and Sustainability John Paul Construction onsite in PepsiCo Ireland facility in Little Island, Cork.
Photo. Darragh Kane
Today, PepsiCo Ireland, a global food and beverage leader, has announced a new €39 million expansion of its manufacturing facilities at its site in Little Island, Co. Cork. This follows the completion of a €127 million investment in the same site and the adjacent R&D facilities earlier this year.
The new facility will expand PepsiCo’s Little Island manufacturing capacity, with an investment of €36.6m, for its range of beverage ingredients, support increased demand for existing PepsiCo products and play a key role in bringing PepsiCo’s innovation pipeline to its global customer base.
The expansion also includes a €2.4m investment in a major solar PV installation at the Little Island facility, which will significantly reduce the amount of electricity consumed at the site. The solar PV installation is expected to be completed in Q4 2023.
Simon Coveney TD, Minister for Enterprise, Trade & Employment said: “This latest multi-million euro investment by PepsiCo, the second this year, reinforces its commitment to Ireland and to Cork. The company’s positive impact on the Irish economy since it first established a presence here in 1974 is hugely significant.”
PepsiCo’s Little Island Site Director, Brian Colgan said: “This latest investment will provide additional capacity for the markets we serve, enhance production capability, and further reinforce the strong sustainability credentials of our site in Little Island. As we approach 50 years in Cork, we are extremely proud of this latest milestone and the benefits that will arise for Little Island and the wider Cork region”.
Michael Lohan, CEO, IDA, Ireland said: “Today’s announcement by PepsiCo, which is on the heels of another multimillion-euro announcement at the same site earlier this year, is most welcome and is once again, closely aligned to IDA Ireland’s current strategy Driving Recovery and sustainable Growth 2021 – 2024. For almost 50 years, PepsiCo has been creating employment in Ireland and we wish the team every success as they continue to advance their operations here.”
The company currently has approximately 100 vacancies in Cork, employs more than 1,250 people in Ireland and has continued to increase operations personnel at the plant to support its growth. Using the latest manufacturing technology, the Little Island site produces concentrate for its portfolio of global brands including Pepsi, Pepsi Max, Gatorade, 7Up and Mountain Dew.
The company’s new Solar PV installation will generate 1820 kW and will have peak capacity to provide 100% of the plant’s electrical demand. Over the course of a year, the solar panels will provide 22% of the electricity required by the site.
The new Solar PV installation is the latest effort by PepsiCo to ensure operations are conducted in a sustainable manner. In 2021, PepsiCo launched pep+ (PepsiCo Positive), a strategic end-to-end transformation of the organisation, placing sustainability at the heart of its operations.
