Portuguese 
English 
Spanish 
4 min of reading 
0 comments 
Investment in industrial innovation boosts Coca-Cola factory in Minas with unprecedented automation, reduction in resource consumption, and significant gains in operational efficiency, supported by public funding and advanced environmental goals that position the unit among the most modern in the beverage sector in Brazil.
BNDES approved financing of R$ 102 million for Uberlândia Refrescos, a Coca-Cola franchise in Minas Gerais, to install a fully digitized PET bottle filling line at the Alexandre Biagi Industrial Complex in Uberlândia.
According to the bank and media outlets that reported on the operation this Monday, April 6, 2026, this is an unprecedented technology in the beverage sector in the country.
The credit was granted through the BNDES Mais Inovação program and covers 63% of the investment planned for the industrial project.
-
The president of Colombia defended Brazil’s Pix, publicly requested that the system be brought to his country, and criticized the United States for using financial sanctions as a tool for political control in the world.
-
INSS reveals when it will make payments in April; find out when the benefit will be deposited into your account.
-
The geopolitical dispute over the minerals that drive the global energy transition has reached Brazil: the United States wants direct access to the reserves, India has already struck a deal, and Lula is racing to centralize decisions before the states negotiate on their own.
-
Brazil could become a key player in the “electrification metal”: global demand for copper is expected to soar with electric cars and AI, the IEA projects a deficit of up to 30% by 2035, and Carajás drives the bet for the country to move from just 1% of global production.
The proposal combines automation, real-time monitoring, and simultaneous data collection to allow machines to exchange information during operation, with automatic corrections without the need for production stops.
Digital filling line reduces water and energy consumption
In practice, the filling line brings together the equipment that fills, caps, labels, and packages the bottles.
With the complete digitization of this process, the company projects to reduce water consumption by about 10% per liter produced, cut energy expenditure by 10% to 15%, and lower industrial costs by 35.5%, in addition to shortening operational changeover times by 90%.
Industrial automation increases efficiency and reduces failures
The project was designed to operate with instant communication between equipment, a model associated with industrial digitization that allows deviations to be detected before they turn into failures capable of interrupting production.
Instead of relying solely on manual interventions, the system automatically makes adjustments, aiming to reduce waste and increase factory efficiency.
This type of advancement is particularly significant in an industry where water, energy, packaging, and machine time directly influence the final cost.
By reducing losses in repetitive and sensitive stages of operation, the unit tends to gain productivity without increasing input consumption in the same proportion, which helps explain the relevance of the investment approved by the development bank.
Project integrates New Industry Brazil industrial policy
The operation was also framed within the industrial policy New Industry Brazil, launched by the federal government in January 2024.
Among the initiatives linked to the strategy is the Mais Inovação program, operated by BNDES and Finep, aimed at providing financial support for innovation, digital transformation, and pioneering plants.
When announcing the financing, BNDES president Aloizio Mercadante stated that the project combines cutting-edge technology, large-scale digitization, and sustainability as a competitiveness axis.
According to him, by supporting the first 100% digitized filling line in the beverage sector in Brazil, the bank contributes to the industry advancing in productivity, energy efficiency, and rational use of resources.
Factory seeks unprecedented environmental certifications in the world
The new line is part of the Alexandre Biagi Industrial Complex, designed to simultaneously seek high-standard environmental certifications.
According to the information released about the operation, the unit was conceived to obtain the LEED Platinum, LEED Zero Energy, LEED Zero Carbon, LEED Zero Waste, and LEED Zero Water certifications, a combination described as unprecedented among Coca-Cola factories worldwide.
This environmental component helps explain why the project goes beyond a simple modernization of equipment.
The digitization of the filling line is associated with a broader manufacturing strategy with lower use of natural resources, lower energy expenditure, and greater operational predictability, at a time when the industry seeks to reconcile productivity with sustainability and traceability goals.
Regional reach expands impact of industrial modernization
Although the promised gains are concentrated in industrial operation, the expected impact is not limited to the factory.
In beverage supply chains, improvements in filling often affect the pace of supply, production stability, and the company’s responsiveness during periods of higher demand, especially when automation reduces changeover time between formats and products.
In the case of Uberlândia Refrescos, the regional scale makes this movement more relevant.
The company, based in Uberlândia and with about 50 years of operation, reports serving approximately 2.5 million consumers and 26,000 clients in the Triângulo Mineiro, Alto Paranaíba, and northwest Minas Gerais, with nearly 3,000 direct and indirect collaborators.
These numbers help to gauge the reach of the investment, as the unit supplies a vast area and operates in a market where logistical efficiency and production regularity are crucial.
By investing in an unprecedented digital filling line in the country, the company aims to combine cost reduction, lower water and energy consumption, and a more stable industrial operation, supported by public funding aimed at innovation.
Seja o primeiro a reagir!