Sumitomo Rubber cutting production capacity at Chinese tire plant

Changsha, China – Sumitomo Rubber Industries (SRI) has announced a major technical transformation project at its site in Changsha, in the southern Chinese province of Hunan, in response to new environmental requirements in the country.

Under the project, tire production at the plant will be reduced from 21 million units per year to 8.4 million units per year, SRI said in an 8 Oct environmental impact assessment filing.

According to SRI, the transformation involves terminating construction of a planned phase II project, involving annual capacity of 10.5 million passenger car and light truck (PC/LT) radial tires.

Instead, the company will focus on optimising a first-phase project at the site, which has an annual output of 10.5 million PC/LT radial tires and has been operational since 2011.

The move, SRI explained, will help the company "to thoroughly implement [China's] ecological civilisation vision and respond to the national green and low-carbon development concept."

The project will involve adjusting existing equipment and product structure, upgrading facilities to increase the collection and treatment of 'waste gases' from the site.