Conti says its energy consumption is 22% below industry average

HANOVER, Germany—Continental A.G. claims it achieved significant reductions in energy consumption at its tire plants around the world, based on its analysis of available industry data.

Following a series of individual site and group-wide initiatives, Conti said it consumes 22-percent less energy per metric ton of tires produced than the industry average.

The figure, it said, is the result of "an internal benchmarking against average energy consumption of the world's leading tire manufacturers," as reported by the Tire Industry Project.

Continental linked the achievement to its completion of 160 energy-saving projects, which reduced its annual energy-requirement by 150 gigawatt/hours in 2023, or equivalent to the energy need to power 12,500 family homes for a year.

Efficiencies were delivered, for example, through the increased use of renewable energies and thermal-insulation program, among other measures, Conti said.

The group has carried out a "massive expansion of photovoltaic systems" throughout its tire manufacturing network, Bernhard Trilken, head of manufacturing and logistics at Continental Tires, said, including projects at factories in Hefei, China; Rayong, Thailand; Lousado, Portugal; and Hanover and Korbach, Germany.

At the same time, we are driving a wide range of projects to make our operations even more energy-efficient," Trilken said.

Projects include increasing the efficiency of steam-generation for tire-curing processes, a process that Conti claims cut CO2 emissions by 31,000 tons in 2023.

In 2021, Conti disclosed that it had converted the procurement of electricity for all of its manufacturing facilities to renewable energy sources.

Each of Continental's tire plants, Trilken said, is working on individual and companywide solutions to achieve climate-neutral production by 2040 at the latest.