The US$ 8.3 million modernisation programme for BAT Russia’s cigarette plant in Saratov is going to be completed by the end of this year.

The plant’s capacity is going to be brought to 45 billion pieces per year with the output increasing by 30 per cent, according to BAT Russia’s corporate relations director Alexander Lyuty. By 2009, the combined capacity of BAT’s three Russian cigarette making plants is to be brought to 115 billion sticks per annum, 15 per cent up from last year when the company already posted a notable growth of 12 per cent.
BAT is expanding production in Russia due to the continuous growth of sales volume. 79.2 billion cigarettes were sold by the company in 2006, an 8 per cent increase from the previous year, while export supplies saw a 49 per cent boost.