French tyre manufacturer Michelin has announced the inauguration of its first zero-emissions plant in Les Gravanches, near Clermont-Ferrand, France. The plant manufactures about 5,500 ultra-high performance tyres for luxury cars/motorcycles daily; automated production by its electric machinery also supplies “residual heat” to its workshops. As the “first of its kind” in the world, the plant has been CO2-free since the completion of an upgrading project in November last year and is now fully powered by renewable energy sources, according to Michelin CEO Florent Menegaux.
In 2020, the factory is set to manufacture 1.8 million units, and will continue supplying tyres to original equipment manufacturers such as Audi, BMW, Ferrari, Porsche, and Mercedes.