Ochakovo, Russia’s third largest brewing group, has announced that it is to build a US$40m brewery in Tyumen in Siberia.

Building work is to begin next year and the brewery is scheduled to begin operation in 2006. It will have an annual capacity of 150m litres and will employ around 500 people.

Ochakovo, the largest Russian brewer not controlled by a foreign company, operates one brewery in Moscow and three in the south of Russia.