Continental Tire recently installed a PV system at its Timisoara plant in Romania. This was done through its group sector ContiTech. There are a total of three facilities that have been chosen for the pilot project.
The goal is to achieve full sustainability and go green by 2040. The company is committed to tackle the challenges that come with addressing climate change. As a material-driven company, it is keen on taking the necessary steps to reduce its impact on the environment.
The system in Timisoara will produce about 930 MWh of emission-free power every year. The plant produces belts and hoses. Other locations that will have their own PV projects include Chihuahua in Mexico, Kalyani in India, Changzhou in China, Wagrowiec in Poland, Subotica in Serbia, Szeged in Hungary, and Weissbach in Germany.
Installation is expected to commence in the coming months. Continental expects to produce about 5,900 MWH per year with all locations combined. The plants in Changzhou (China), Dannenberg (Germany), and Granby (Canada) will act as the pilot sites.
ContiTech will use the results here to implement and make improvements in other locations. According to Continental, it will not be a simple copy-and-paste solution because each site has its own unique challenges. The first three locations will provide guidance on the best practices that can be tailored for other regions.
Overall, the tire maker wants to cut energy consumption by 20% by 2030. This is while decreasing waste generation by 2% each year and increasing the recovery quota to 95%. The company also aims to reduce water withdrawal by 4% in high-risk regions and by 2% in less-affected water regions.