Danaflex targets EU with new packaging film plant

The company is understood to have invested more than RUB1bn (€26m) in the project, which will allow it to offer new technologies including gravure printing.

Airat Bashirov, managing director of Danaflex, said the first phase of the new production expansion will start up in the next few weeks. The second phase is expected to be initiated during the fourth quarter of 2010.

The new facility will have capacity to produce up to 50,000 tonnes of packaging film a year. It will allow Danaflex to increase its share in the Russian polymer film market from its current level of 10-12% to near 20%.

When the new plant reaches full capacity – around 2012, Danaflex plans to begin regular exports of film products to EU markets. It projects these sales will amount to between RUB6bn to RUB9bn by 2015 (€150m to €230m) and amount to more than 20,000 tonnes annually.