The factory inauguration marks the successful completion of a 2-year long project and sets the ground for commercial production in early 2025.
The Oradea Factory Grand Opening was held in the presence high-level Romanian government and local authorities; Ambassadors of Finland and Romania; together with Nokian Tyres' Board of Directors, Management Team and some 200 guests.
“We are very pleased to be inaugurating our Oradea factory today. It will strengthen our capability to serve our customers in Central Europe and beyond and support our growth as planned toward net sales of EUR 2 billion. With our full-scale zero CO2 emission tire factory we are ready to lead the industry and set the new standard for sustainable tire manufacturing,” says Jukka Moisio, President and CEO of Nokian Tyres.
“The entire construction process was highly efficient, and I would like to thank everyone who made this achievement possible,” he adds.
At the Nokian Tyres Oradea factory, no energy generated by fossil fuels is used. This enables the whole factory to operate with zero CO2 emissions. This is achieved through a combination of solutions.
“The factory makes Nokian Tyres, once more, a pioneer of the tire industry. All electricity used at the Romania Oradea factory is CO2 emission free. Part of the electricity used in the factory is generated by on-site solar power units. Steam used to cure the tires is generated by innovative electric boilers which use fully CO2 emission free electricity instead of the usual fossil fuels such as coal or gas. In addition, the tire manufacturing process is very energy efficient as we are only utilizing the most modern technology and machinery. With our new Oradea factory, we are truly demonstrating our commitment to sustainability,” says Adrian Kaczmarczyk, SVP, Operation Excellence, Nokian Tyres.
The factory produced its first tire in July 2024, and the project is ramping up to the annual capacity of 6 million tires, with expansion potential in the future. The factory will focus on passenger car tire production to be primarily sold in the Central European market as it is strategically located close to that area's customers.
The total factory area is some 54 hectares. The facility includes the production unit, a distribution facility for storage and distribution of tires, and mixing, utility and administrative buildings. The combined built-up area totals approximately 100,000 m2.