AQua Vera expands partnership with Sidel for complete PET packaging line overhaul

SPAIN – To boost production of its Vera water in PET bottles, AQua Vera has selected a new turnkey packaging line from Sidel.

This marks the second collaboration between the Italian water bottler and Sidel at its Castrocielo site, continuing a partnership that began with installing Sidel’s Combi system in 2016.

A household name in Italy, AQua Vera specializes in water bottling and, through its subsidiary s.i.con. s.r.l., manufactures preforms and caps.

The company acquired the well-known “Vera” brand from Nestlé in 2020, with “Vera” meaning “real” in Italian, underscoring the premium quality of its bottled water.

AQua Vera operates three plants in Italy: Castrocielo near Rome, Santo Stefano di Quisquina in Sicily, and San Giorgio in Bosco, Padova.

The Padova plant currently operates under a co-packing agreement with Sanpellegrino, and AQua Vera plans to complete its own facility there by 2026.

The company’s packaging has been widely recognized, winning two prestigious packaging ‘Oscars’ in 1991 and 1998.

New turnkey line to boost production

In 2024, AQua Vera installed a new turnkey bottling line from Sidel to increase production capacity for its still water in PET bottles.

The line will primarily handle 0.5L bottles, 25cl and 1L formats, at speeds of up to 20,000 bottles per hour.

The decision to continue working with Sidel is based on a long-standing, successful relationship.

“We appreciate Sidel’s collaborative approach and dedication to delivering successful projects,” said Fabrizio Quagliuolo, CEO of AQua Vera.

“Their team is always available to support us, even with challenges outside their equipment.”

At the project’s onset, Sidel designed a solution that maximized the production line’s operability, ergonomics, and accessibility while optimizing the storage and management of raw materials.

The system was also engineered to minimize the use of critical resources such as water, energy, and air.

“Sidel provided the right layout with user-friendly operations while ensuring cost-effectiveness,” added Quagliuolo.

“They took overall responsibility for project management to guarantee the line’s efficiency and performance.”

AQua Vera’s new line will build on the success of Sidel’s Combi system, which integrates blow molding, filling, and capping into a single compact solution.

This system has proven reliable and efficient at several AQua Vera plants, meeting the highest product quality and food safety standards.

Sidel’s new Combi system also features significant advancements in sustainability. Thanks to its smaller filling enclosure, the contact-free filling technology reduces energy consumption, water and chemical usage.

Moreover, the new line incorporates an innovative bundling system using stretch wrapping, reducing plastic usage by 50% and cutting electricity consumption by 90% compared to traditional packaging methods.

The new bottling line is set to be installed early next year, in time to meet the summer season’s high demand.

“We worked hard during the project definition stages to meet all of AQua Vera’s requirements,” said Luigi Camorali, account manager at Sidel.

“Sidel’s solutions significantly reduce the total cost of ownership for our client, and it has been a privilege to collaborate with AQua Vera on this project.”

With this new investment, AQua Vera is poised to strengthen its market position further while maintaining its commitment to sustainability and premium product quality.

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