FDBusiness.com

Nestle will double production of Nescafe Dolce Gusto coffee capsules with a SFr64m (Eur50m) investment in a new international production line in Spain, creating 150 new jobs. The new line will form part of the Nescafe Dolce Gusto site at the company’s Nescafe factory in Girona, near Barcelona – the largest Nescafe factory in Europe.

It will increase production to more than 2.5 billion coffee capsules a year by 2012 for export to more than 20 European countries, as well as the US, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Argentina and Chile.

The SFr192m Nescafe Dolce Gusto site, built in 2008 at Nestle’s existing Nescafe factory in Girona, has achieved record levels of production since operations began last year. It will employ a total of 400 staff by 2012 as production expands to meet growing consumer demand for the Nescafe Dolce Gusto ‘coffee-shop-at-home’ system around the world.

It is the first factory in Spain to meet environmental sustainability requirements for Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification. A second Nescafe Dolce Gusto coffee capsule factory, located in Tutbury in the UK, is already running at full capacity.

The Nescafe Dolce Gusto machine system, which can make both hot and cold drinks, offers 16 varieties of coffee capsules including Cappuccino, Macchiato, Chococino, Cappuccino Ice, Espresso, Lungo and Classico Decaffeinato. Nesquik and Nestea capsules are also compatible with the machines. First launched in Switzerland, Germany and the UK in 2006, Nescafe Dolce Gusto was introduced to Spain in 2007. It is now available in 39 countries, with an annual turnover of SFr450m.