Continental has celebrated the grand opening of the fourth expansion phase of its tyre plant in Hefei, China. With the extension of its solely tyre plant in the country Continental Tyres will boost its annual production capacity to 18 million passenger and light truck tyres annually by 2027. Total investments into the Hefei production site stand now at close to 1 billion Euro. This expansion will create 400 additional jobs in the upcoming years. It increases amongst others the overall production capacity of technologically more complex Ultra High-Performance (UHP) tyres for the markets in the region Asia-Pacific (APAC). UHP tyres are tyres from 18 inches and above that are primarily designed for high driving dynamics.
“Our latest expansion further solidifies our ‘in the market for the market’ approach. It enables us to meet the demands of our customers in the Asia-Pacific region even better. Expanding our plant in Hefei for the fourth time is a testament of our business success in these markets,” said Dalibor Kalina, Head of Continental’s replacement tyre business in the Asia-Pacific region.
Tyre plant combines advanced automation technology with highest sustainability standards
Continental’s Hefei plant is equipped with advanced automation technology, for example used in the curing process to give tyres its final shape. This ensures a modern, digital, ergonomic, and sustainable working place. Moreover, the Hefei site meets high standards in the use of renewable energies. The installed solar panels on the roof top of the production site have a capacity of 27 million kilowatt hours of electricity per year, contributing 18 percent of the total electricity currently needed for tyre production. The plant has recently been awarded the International Sustainability and Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS sustainability certification. Combining a high degree of automation with sustainability brings Continental closer to fulfill its ambitions to achieve 100 percent climate neutrality along the entire value chain by 2050 at the latest, while at the same time offering safe and ergonomic workplaces of the future.