Bucharest, September 19, 2024 – RBJ – The Finnish tire manufacturer Nokian Tires inaugurated on Thursday, September 19, the tire factory in Oradea (western Romania). Construction of the plant began in May 2023. The company said the plant will have a production capacity of 6 million tires. The first tires will be produced at the end of 2024. It is estimated that in the near future 90% of tire production will be exported.
“We are very pleased to inaugurate our factory in Oradea today. This will strengthen our ability to serve customers in Central Europe and beyond, and support our planned growth towards a turnover of €2 billion. Thanks to our new zero-carbon tire factory we are poised to lead the industry and set a new standard for sustainable tire production,” said Jukka Moisio, President and CEO of Nokian Tyres.
The Nokian Tires factory in Oradea does not use energy generated from fossil fuels, which allows the entire factory to operate with zero carbon dioxide emissions, an achievement due to a combination of solutions.
“The new factory in Oradea is a new example of Nokian Tires pioneering in the tire industry. The electricity used in the factory in Oradea is, in its entirety, without carbon dioxide emissions. Part of the electricity is generated by solar units installed on site. The steam used to vulcanize tires is generated by innovative electric boilers that use carbon-free electricity instead of conventional fossil fuels such as coal or gas. In addition, the tire manufacturing process is very energy efficient, as we only use state-of-the-art technology and machinery. With our new factory in Oradea, we are truly demonstrating our commitment to sustainability,” said Adrian Kaczmarczyk, Senior Vice President for Operational Excellence at Nokian Tyres.
More than 500 people will work in the Oradea factory. By the end of 2024, their number is expected to reach 300, and the recruitment process will continue in 2025.
For 2030, the company wants to have a tire recycling or reuse program, also within the factory in Oradea. Currently, 25% of new tires are made from recyclable or reusable materials.
Nokian Tires is to become one of the largest tire manufacturers in Romania, once the investment is inaugurated. Currently, Michelin Romania, Continental Automotive Products and Pirelli Tires Romania are the biggest players on the local tire market.
