Carlsberg Kazakhstan opens $344 million beverage plant, positioning Kazakhstan as a regional manufacturing and supply hub for Central Asia

• Carlsberg Kazakhstan has opened a new $344 million beverages production plant in Boraldai, Almaty Region.
  
  
• The facility will produce under license PepsiCo beverages for Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
  
  
• The plant is designed to produce up to 1 billion liters of beverages annually at full scale.
  
  
• Phase 1 includes five production lines serving multiple beverage categories and packaging formats
• The project is expected to create more than 230 direct jobs and support additional employment across logistics, packaging, warehousing and related industries.
  
  
• Carlsberg Kazakhstan plans to increase local content beyond the current 71.5% of procurement by expanding the range and volume of materials sourced from Kazakhstani suppliers. This will help reduce reliance on imports, build more resilient supply chains and create additional opportunities for domestic producers.
  
  
• The facility uses state-of-the-art technology across water management, energy efficiency, heat recovery, waste reduction and packaging operations. These systems are designed to reduce resource use, recover and reuse water where possible, and improve operational efficiency without relying on a single water-consumption ratio.
  
  

Carlsberg Kazakhstan officially opened a new $344 million beverage production facility in the Almaty Region, one of the largest recent investments in Kazakhstan’s food and beverage manufacturing sector. The plant will expand local production for Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan and strengthen Kazakhstan’s role as a regional manufacturing and supply hub for Central Asia, while advancing the strategic partnership between Carlsberg Group and PepsiCo.

The facility will manufacture under license PepsiCo beverage brands for consumers and customers in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Kazakhstan will serve as the primary market, while the plant will also supply products to Kyrgyzstan.

The $344 million investment represents a significant inflow of foreign direct investment into Kazakhstan’s manufacturing sector and reflects the long-term confidence of Carlsberg Group and PepsiCo in the country’s economic outlook, workforce and consumer market. It also highlights the role of international partnerships in bringing capital, technology and global operating expertise into Kazakhstan. The presence of Denmark’s Minister for Foreign Affairs, Lars Løkke Rasmussen, alongside representatives of Kazakhstan’s national ministries, the Akimat of Almaty Region, the diplomatic community, Carlsberg Group and PepsiCo underscored the project’s importance to commercial ties between Kazakhstan and Denmark.

A major manufacturing investment in Kazakhstan

The investment supports Kazakhstan’s national priorities to diversify the economy, attract high-quality foreign direct investment and expand value-added manufacturing outside the extractive sectors. By creating skilled jobs, transferring international production expertise, developing domestic suppliers and increasing local sourcing, the project is intended to retain more value within Kazakhstan. Its capacity to serve Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan also strengthens the country’s potential as a regional production base and supports the development of more resilient trade and supply links across Central Asia.

The new plant combines Carlsberg Kazakhstan’s local operating capabilities, commercial expertise, sales network, proven franchise expertise and manufacturing investment with PepsiCo’s global beverage portfolio, consumer insights, innovation capabilities, quality systems and international operating standards.

The facility is designed to support the long-term growth of both companies’ beverage businesses in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. Producing closer to consumers and customers will increase regional capacity, shorten supply routes and improve responsiveness to market demand, while building a stronger manufacturing platform for future growth across Central Asia.

At full scale, the plant is designed to produce approximately 1 billion liters of beverages annually, supported by five Phase 1 production lines serving multiple beverage categories and packaging formats.

Beyond direct production capacity, the project is expected to create more than 230 direct jobs and generate economic activity across packaging manufacturing, logistics, transportation, warehousing, distribution and business services.

The facility represents a long-term industrial platform for future beverage category growth and innovation across Central Asia.

Supporting local sourcing and supply-chain development

A core objective of the project is to expand local value creation and supplier development in Kazakhstan. As production scales, Carlsberg Kazakhstan intends to work with existing and prospective suppliers to qualify more locally produced inputs against the quality, safety and reliability standards required for beverage manufacturing.

Local content currently accounts for 71.5% of Carlsberg Kazakhstan procurement, supporting import substitution and strengthening domestic supply chains.

Carlsberg Kazakhstan already sources key materials from domestic suppliers, including:

• Barley
• Wheat
• Aluminum cans
• Cardboard packaging
• Glass bottles

The company works with suppliers and manufacturers across Almaty, Astana and Shymkent. Increasing local content can broaden that supplier base, encourage investment in Kazakhstan’s packaging and agricultural value chains, and distribute the economic benefits of the plant beyond its direct workforce.

Resource efficiency built into the facility

The new beverage plant has been developed in alignment with the sustainability priorities and operational standards of both Carlsberg Group and PepsiCo.

Priority areas include:

• Water efficiency
• Energy efficiency
• Water recovery and reuse
• Heat recovery systems
• Waste reduction
• Packaging solutions
• Responsible supply-chain development
• Continued support of local agricultural practices

The facility incorporates advanced water- and energy-saving technologies across its production and utility systems. Water recovery and reuse processes are intended to lower demand for fresh water, while heat-recovery and energy-efficiency measures reduce resource use across operations. Waste-reduction processes and packaging solutions further support the facility’s aim to improve environmental performance as production scales. Specific water-efficiency metrics will be reported following operational validation.

Leaders highlight confidence in Kazakhstan and Central Asia

Akim of Almaty Region Shyngys Arinov:

“President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Kemelevich Tokayev set clear tasks for us, stating: “The Government’s task is to ensure economic growth and improve the well-being of citizens.” The development of the economy is reflected first and foremost in concrete projects being implemented in every region of the country. Therefore, developing production and attracting investment have also become important priorities for our region. One of the major projects in this area is the launch of a new production facility by Carlsberg Kazakhstan.”

Jacob Aarup-Andersen, Chief Executive Officer, Carlsberg Group:

“This is an important milestone in our long-term commitment to Kazakhstan, but it is also a major step in the development of our business across Central Asia. We are proud to work alongside PepsiCo, one of the world’s leading consumer goods companies. With this project, our two companies have taken an already strong partnership to a new level by delivering a manufacturing investment of this scale in Kazakhstan. Investments of this scale are only possible when businesses have confidence in long-term partnership and stability.”

Eugene Willemsen, Chief Executive Officer of International Beverages, PepsiCo:

“Kazakhstan is a strategic growth market for our international beverages business, and today’s plant opening reflects the confidence we share with Carlsberg Group in its future. It brings together Carlsberg Group’s investment and operational expertise with PepsiCo’s globally recognised brands, innovation capabilities and consumer insights, enabling us to serve consumers and customers across Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan with locally produced beverages. Beyond the capacity it adds, the plant will create skilled jobs and support the development of local supply chains, while demonstrating the strength of our partnership with Carlsberg Group and what we can achieve together.”

Economic impact and investment in Kazakhstan

Carlsberg Kazakhstan is among the country’s leading foreign investors and one of the largest taxpayers in Kazakhstan’s food and beverage sector.

In 2025, the company contributed more than KZT 37.5 billion in taxes and mandatory payments to the state budget.

The completion of the $344 million beverage plant reinforces Kazakhstan’s position as an attractive destination for international manufacturing investment and regional production.

PepsiCo has also expanded its investment footprint in Kazakhstan. In 2024, the company announced a $368 million investment in its first snack production facility near Almaty. The plant began producing Lay’s potato chips earlier this year and is expected to deepen PepsiCo’s collaboration with local farmers as it works toward increased localization of potato supply.