The start of production at the new “Bela” brewery puts Angola in a position to start exporting beer, the Minister for Industry, Bernarda Martins said Thursday at the Special Economic Zone in the municipality of Viana.

Owned by the Lowenda Brewery Company, Lda., with Chinese investors, the factory will provide employment to 250 Angolans and 170 foreigners, according to Angolan news agency Angop.

The minister said that the project, which was built from scratch, “falls within the National Development Plan of the Government of Angola, particularly with regard to the development programme of the country’s industry.”

Martins said that with respect to the beverage sector, including water, juices, soft drinks and beer, Angola is at an advanced stage in the import substitution process, “because there is domestic production of these products, which make its possible to meet demand.”

The new venture includes fermenting and machinery rooms, boilers and generators , a filling area, ​wastewater treatment area, container area and a warehouse for the finished product.

The water for brewing comes from the Kwanza River through a pipeline approximately 30 kilometres long, giving the plant capacity to treat 1,000 cubic metres per day and waste liquid can be used for gardening and cleaning. (macauhub/AO)