The Lepel Dairy and Canning Plant will invest Br30 billion in retooling in 2009.

March 25, Vitebsk / Olga Bogacheva - BELTA /. Lepel Dairy and Canned Goods Plant OJSC plans to invest Br30 billion in the enterprise's development in 2009, the plant informed a BELTA correspondent. The funds are intended for the construction of a robotic dairy farm for a thousand head of cattle, which will increase the volume of raw materials and, consequently, production output. Currently, the building frame is being assembled here, and tenders are being held for the supply of equipment for the farm. Br2 billion in investments have already been utilized. In addition, this year the plant will begin implementing a project to convert the boiler house into a mini-CHP plant with a capacity of 1.7 MW and 20 tons of steam per hour. The current boiler house produces 25 tons of steam per hour, which is sufficient to provide the enterprise with heat. However, the equipment, installed over 20 years ago, is obsolete. The mini-CHP plant will not only cover the plant's needs for heat and electricity for its own purposes but also generate revenue by supplying surplus to the city. The amount of funds required for the project is being calculated. In 2010, the enterprise plans to build a new milk drying workshop, with investments amounting to 4 million euros. One of the Danish companies has already expressed interest in financing. In 2008, Lepel Dairy and Canned Goods Plant invested 1.3 million euros in production development. Of this amount, 1 million euros were allocated for the construction of a compressor station for milk cooling, and 300 thousand euros for the modernization of the dryer. In 2008, the plant processed 152 thousand tons of raw materials, which is 16.1% more compared to the previous year. During this period, products worth Br129 billion were produced, or 120.4% compared to 2007. The energy saving indicator was minus 9.5%. Exports reached $33 million (110.2%). The share of exports last year was 59%. The main share of export deliveries (93.6%) went to CIS countries, and 6.4% to far abroad countries, including Poland, France, Iraq, Iran, and Syria. The enterprise was founded in 1951 and reformed into an OJSC in 1998. The state's share in the authorized capital is 97.2%. The plant includes the agricultural production branch "Zaozerie", Tolochin Butter and Cheese Plant, Dokshitsy and Beshenkovichi dairy plants. The enterprise specializes in the production of whole milk products, skimmed milk powder, cheese, and ice cream. The range of products manufactured includes over 100 items. The total number of employees is about 900 people. -0-