British American Tobacco, 80 million to expand the Trieste plant
16 new production lines for heated tobacco (and other) products announced. The company also signed a three-year agreement with the Ministry of Agriculture to supply the Italian supply chain
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Key points
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The British American Tobacco (Bat) plant in Trieste continues to grow: the company has announced the addition of 16 new production lines, for an investment of 80 million, and a recruitment plan aimed at strengthening the workforce, with an additional 150 people by 2026. The inauguration of the first additional line took place on 9 September in Trieste, in the presence of the Minister for Enterprise and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso, the Minister for Relations with Parliament (a native of the region) Luca Ciriani, and the President of Friuli Venezia Giulia Massimiliano Fedriga. By the end of 2026, when it is fully operational, the hub will reach a total capacity of 25 lines, doubling the initial goal of the business plan, which envisaged up to 12 by 2027.
New Products
.The expansion will be entirely dedicated to new nicotine-based product categories containing tobacco or rooibos tea leaves: innovative sticks characterised but microholes, made through extrusion. They will be activated by users in heating devices. They will bear the 'Made in Italy' brand and will be dedicated exclusively to the Italian market. The new lines join those already in operation dedicated to the production of nicotine pouches for oral use, today distributed in Italy and 15 other European countries, and the recently launched line for the production of nicotine replacement therapy (Nrt) products. The expansion brings an additional 6,300 square metres of space - including the recovery of a disused warehouse at the Trieste Freight Village - for a total area of 30,000 square metres: a tripling of the 10,000 square metres envisaged in the original industrial plan.
"This project is testimony to our far-sightedness and the expectations we place in this hub of excellence which, for Bat, plays a fundamental strategic role at a global level," explained Fabio de Petris, president and CEO of Bat Italia. "Trieste is a fundamental asset for us, a real flywheel for the development of the entire region that contributes to the growth of the local GDP and consolidates the prestige of the area, becoming a showcase for the excellence of Made in Italy," added Andrea Di Paolo, president of Bat Trieste.
Investments
.The expansion is part of an investment plan started in 2023 of EUR 500 million over five years. According to an analysis conducted by the Mib Trieste School of Management - which analysed the economic impact generated by the Hub in the region - in 2024 alone, Bat's investments reached EUR 168 million with a production value of EUR 30 million. The profit, amounting to 1.6 million euro in the last business year, was entirely reinvested for the company's development.
"Innovation, identity and internationalisation are the keys to the success of Made in Italy, values that we also find in the industrial development promoted by Bat. An advanced and significant centre, which will become a production model and contribute to making Italy more and more attractive to foreign investment,' commented the Minister for Enterprise and Made in Italy Adolfo Urso. While Governor Fedriga recalled how 'from the outset, the multinational company had asked for the timing of this important investment to be certain. Our territorial system, led by the Region, was able to respond with great timeliness'.
