ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN — PepsiCo Inc. aims to more than triple the production capacity of a salty snacks manufacturing plant currently being built in Kazakhstan.

Plans call for Purchase, NY-based PepsiCo to double its total investment by launching a second phase of the project, according to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The ministry said the food and beverage giant — the parent of Frito-Lay — announced the new project phase at a May 20 meeting with Kazakh government officials in the capital of Astana.

The first phase of the project, unveiled in June 2024 and now under way with an initial investment of $160 million, calls for the construction of a salty snacks plant in southeastern Kazakhstan’s Almaty region, near the borders of Kyrgyzstan and China. Originally, the facility was expected to launch in 2026 with a production capacity of up to 16,000 tonnes of product per year — including Lay’s snacks — and then ramp up to 21,000 tonnes in 2027. With the second phase, the plant stands to process up to 210,000 tons of potatoes, up from 50,000 to 66,000 tonnes initially, and manufacture about 70,000 tons of product annually once fully operational in 2027.

When completed, the plant will become a central hub in PepsiCo’s Central Asia supply chain, Kazakhstan’s foreign ministry said. The facility is expected to create approximately 900 jobs, up from about 350 new jobs projected when the first phase was announced.

David Manzini, PepsiCo’s president for Russia, Belarus, the Caucasus and Central Asia, said the Almaty salty snacks plant marks one of the company’s largest investments in Central Asia and first of this size.

“Launching a greenfield project of this scale in such a short time frame is only possible with strong support from national and local authorities, and we deeply appreciate it,” said Manzini, who met with Kazakh officials in Astana about the project on May 20. “Kazakhstan is creating favorable conditions for foreign investors, which enabled our decision to significantly expand our investment and project scope. I would also like to highlight the professional support provided by Kazakh Invest, which plays a key role in coordinating the project and addressing ongoing matters.”

Manzini said PepsiCo already has signed supply contracts with 15 Kazakh potato farms, in line with the company’s strategy of sourcing locally. Production is scheduled to start in spring 2026. Plans call for PepsiCo to fully switch to locally grown chip-grade potatoes by 2035, and the company is actively involving Kazakh farmers in the supply chain, the ministry said.