Asepto’s new US$126M Egypt plant adds 12B packs to global aseptic capacity

EGYPT – Asepto, the aseptic liquid packaging arm of UFlex, has opened a US$126 million facility in Ain Sokhna, Egypt, adding 12 billion packs of yearly capacity to serve six major international markets.

The 30-acre greenfield site, located on the Gulf of Suez beside the Suez Canal, is currently running customer trials, with commercial production slated to begin before the end of the calendar year. 

The plant will operate at around 30 percent utilisation in its first year, rising to 70 percent in the second year and reaching 100 percent by 2030. 

Consolidated Processing Lines Deliver Scale from Smaller Site

The Ain Sokhna operation combines printing, inspection, extrusion lamination, slitting, material handling and final packaging into one continuous production flow, with machinery sourced from Germany, Austria, the Netherlands and Italy. 

Its reduced footprint compared with Asepto’s 72-acre Sanand plant in Gujarat reflects deeper automation and integration embedded in the newer facility. 

Each site holds an installed yearly capacity of 12 billion aseptic packs, lifting Asepto’s combined capability to 24 billion packs annually. 

The company serves more than 200 customers across over 50 countries, supplying cartons, filling machines, packaging design and paper straws for dairy, juices, nectars and plant-based drinks.

Freight Corridors and Trade Pacts Underpin Market Access

Established in 2017, Asepto is channelling exports from Egypt to Europe, the Commonwealth of Independent States, Africa, the Gulf Cooperation Council and West Asia, Latin America and North America. 

Estimated transit periods run about 10 days to Europe and the CIS, 5-20 days to Africa, 10 days to the GCC and West Asia, and roughly 30 days to Latin America and North America.

Egypt’s dense web of preferential agreements covers COMESA, GAFTA and AfCFTA, alongside arrangements with the Agadir Agreement markets, Turkey, MERCOSUR and EFTA. 

Ashwani Kumar Sharma, president and CEO of UFlex’s liquid packaging business, said Egypt sat close to the GCC, MENA and European markets, where the combined market was worth US$25-26 billion and was expected to double in about eight years. He added that goods could be supplied within Egypt in mere hours. 

The move supports UFlex’s wider ambition across the global packaging value chain, with the company posting revenue of roughly US$1.63 billion for the year ended March 31. 

The global aseptic packaging market is estimated at 300 billion packs annually, and Asepto’s enlarged capacity places it among the top five suppliers worldwide.

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