Luanda, July 20, 2026 (Lusa) - The glass manufacturing plant belonging to the Chinese group Sino-Ord, representing a total investment of $22 million (€19.2 million), was inaugurated on Monday in the district of Dande, in the Angolan province of Bengo.

The «Cristal Azul» factory has an installed annual production capacity of 120,000 tonnes of glass containers, but will initially operate with a production line capable of producing 60,000 tonnes of containers.

The Angolan Minister for Industry and Trade, Rui Miguêns de Oliveira, in his speech at the factory's opening ceremony, highlighted that, at this stage, the plant will create 220 jobs, mostly for Angolan nationals.

«We have mentioned on several occasions (…) the strong commitment on the part of the business community and the government of China to mutually beneficial cooperation with Angola and with our people in general,» said the minister.

He reiterated that the Angolan Government's policy priority will continue to be the protection of domestic and international investors wishing to contribute to the process of economic diversification, self-sufficiency and ensuring the country's food security.

He highlighted that the production of glass containers will support micro and small enterprises, which are already engaged in the manufacture of small-scale industrialised products, as well as agricultural producers, in the process of preserving produce.

He added that the production of glass containers will contribute to the transition away from plastic containers, «one of the major factors disrupting the maintenance of ecological balance».

The minister called on Sino-Ord to promote a circular system in the production and distribution of its products, involving Angolan micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, both in sales to the market and in the recycling and return of reusable containers.

NME/AYLS // AYLS

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