Opal Fibre Packaging’s $140 million high tech corrugated cardboard packaging facility in Wodonga, Victoria, is on track to be completed and operational by October 2023, according to the company.

The site will receive more than 260 containers of state-of-the-art equipment with the installation phase commencing from April.

Opal said sustainability is a core component of the site’s design, which when completed, will feature water harvesting capability and solar power to leverage the facility’s 55,000 square metres of total roof area.

The facility will also use kraft and recycled packaging paper from Opal’s Maryvale Mill in the Latrobe Valley and Botany Mill in Sydney.

It will produce high quality corrugated cardboard packaging to supply a wide range of fresh produce, food processing, FMCG and manufacturing industries across Australia.

Opal said Wodonga was specifically selected as the site of the new facility due to its central location to eastern Australia and growing customer demand for recyclable packaging.

Opal Packaging executive general manager Chris Daly said the company’s strategic investment in Wodonga was driven by market demand for superior, Australian-made recyclable packaging.

“Opal’s Wodonga corrugated cardboard facility will enable us to increase our production, create new regional jobs and grow our customer base,” he said.

“Once running at capacity, the facility will be able to produce up to 720,000 square metres of packaging board per day, which is equivalent to almost 400 tonnes of finished corrugated boxes.”

Opal said once operational, the facility is expected to support more than 400 Victorian jobs including direct and flow-on.

Opal is currently recruiting for roles across production, safety, quality and maintenance.