HANOVER, Germany—Algeria's first tire plant reached the industrialization phase, just ahead of commercial production, according to project support firm Black Donuts Engineering.
Based in in Setif, about 180 miles east of Algiers, the plant has a production capacity of 2 million passenger car tires a year and came on-stream Feb. 21, Black Donuts Founder Kai Hauvala said during the recent Tire Technology Expo in Hanover.
"Every tire must be tested first and will come to production one by one," Hauvala pointed out.
Algerian consumer electronics and household appliances group Saterex-Iris E.u.r.l.. is the owner of the plant, and tires from the facility will go to market under its Iris brand. Saterex budgeted $250 million to $300 million to build the plant in Setif, which is supposed to add truck tire capacity in a second investment phase.
Finnish automation specialist Cimcorp Oy supplied its Dream Factory concept to the plant, covering both materials handling and software supply for the plant.
The new facility—the first tire plant to operate in Algeria since Group Michelin closed its factory in the capital in 2013—originally was expected to be operational by fall 2018.