Rio Tinto's Alcan Packaging division will spend 17 million euros ($27 million) to build a packaging facility in the Novy Bydzov area of the Czech Republic, the company said on Wednesday.

The new facility will produce and print packaging for the emerging Central European food market, Alcan Packaging said in a statement. The plant should be operational by the fourth quarter of 2009, it said.

Rio Tinto acquired Alcan Packaging through its acquisition of Canadian aluminum producer Alcan last year.