Nokian rolls out first tire at Romanian factory

Nokia, Finland - Nokian Tyres has rolled out the first tire at its new greenfield manufacturing plant in Oradea, Romania.

The tire, produced 1 July, marks a milestone in the project, which is on schedule for commercial production in early 2025, Nokian announced.

Unveiled in May last year, the project aims to produce 6 million units of passenger car tires at full capacity, with expansion potential in the future.

In a statement 1 July, the Finnish tire maker said it started recruitment for the Romania factory last year, and has built a 60-strong team, trained in Finland, for the ramp-up of the plant.

“With the first tire we have been able to test the production capabilities of the new factory, and the processes work as planned,” said Adrian Kaczmarczyk, SVP, operation excellence.

Once operational, the €650 tire plant will sell tires primarily to central European markets.

The first tire produced at the factory is the Snowproof 2 non-studded winter tire designed for central European passenger cars.

The Romanian factory is claimed to be “the world’s first zero CO2 emission tire factory,” using solely CO2 free energy sources and energy-efficient and highly automated processes.

In addition, the factory aims to achieve zero waste to landfill, as currently modelled by Nokian factories in Finland and in the US.