Cerebos has signed a 10-year lease and will expand its operations at Coega's special economic zone with a R17m investment.
The expansion into the adjacent Lension Facility in zone 7 is a milestone for the special economic zone, doubling Cerebos's operational footprint.
Cerebos employs 200 people across its operations.
Beyond boosting the production of its table salt, the facility will introduce a new range of purified bottled water and seasonings.
Cerebos managing director John Drinkwater said the strategic diversification aims to maximise the value of its seawater extraction and improve overall operating efficiencies.
Cerebos’ innovative approach ensures the maximum utilisation of resources, transforming a single process into multiple product streams.
Drinkwater said efficiency and vertical integration are primary objectives in the business diversification and expansion process.
“Our vision is to transform beyond being just a salt brand.
“Importantly, we aim to minimise wastage to the utmost extent and ensure that every drop of seawater extracted to produce our brand’s renowned table salt is used to the fullest.
“Cerebos extracts salt from seawater using pure vacuum dry desalination technology and is left with water, which is purified and bottled under the Halo brand.
“Our automated bottling line has been established to ensure that our pricing can be kept as affordable as possible.
“We have also partnered with a rigid plastics manufacturer in the new facility to produce our salt flasks and Halo water bottles.
“This partnership reduces the logistics costs of transporting empty packaging.
“Because desalination is an energy-intensive activity, we have also invested in 2.6MW of solar generation on the land next to the plant and 4MWh of Hubble Energy battery storage.
“The intention is to progress to 100% green energy,” Drinkwater said.
Cerebos’ desalination plant will also supply demineralised water to the anticipated Hive Hydrogen project
Coega’s business development executive manager, Asanda Xawuka, said Cerebos’ presence at the special economic zone created much-needed employment in the region while prioritising environmental stewardship and value chain efficiency.
“We look forward to supporting their successful expansion, and with it, more opportunities to reduce environmental effect and maximise social effect.”
The Herald
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