Continental has reached a major milestone in its global sustainability strategy by fully eliminating coal and heavy fuel oil at all tyre production sites. Since January 2026, every plant has relied on alternative energy sources, including biomass, biogas, renewable electricity, and fuels such as liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and natural gas, to generate steam for tire manufacturing and heating.
Dr Bernhard Trilken, head of Manufacturing and Logistics at Continental Tires, explained that the company, is ditching coal and heavy fuel, further stating that a smart mix of energy sources, ideally renewable and produced on-site enhances operational independence and resilience.
Until the early 2020s, seven of Continental’s 19 production facilities still used coal and heavy fuel oil to maintain constant thermal output and reliability, particularly in regions with limited energy infrastructure. Today, systematic long-term investments have enabled all plants to operate on diversified, lower-emission energy sources.
Energy efficiency and sustainability are central to Continental’s manufacturing. Vulcanisation, the process that gives rubber its elasticity, historically relied on steam from fossil fuels, but advanced electric technologies now make this step more flexible and energy efficient. Since 2020, Continental has purchased electricity exclusively from renewable sources and continues to expand its own renewable energy generation. As a result, the company reduced production-related greenhouse gas intensity by over 10% in 2025 compared to the previous year and by roughly 70% compared to 2019, cutting approximately 180,000 metric tonnes of CO2over four years.
Henning Mühlenstedt, head of Future Technologies and Sustainable Infrastructure, explained that continuous investments in electrification and alternative heat sources have significantly lowered emissions. The energy mix varies by region, depending on local infrastructure and resources, but all sites share a commitment to phasing out coal. At the Gqeberha plant in South Africa, coal has been replaced by biomass, with LPG covering remaining demand. In Kalutara, Sri Lanka, the commissioning of a second biomass boiler enabled the site to generate all steam from renewable biomass. At the Otrokovice plant in the Czech Republic, Continental worked with a regional energy supplier to shift fuel from coal to biomass and natural gas, allowing the plant to receive mostly biomass-generated steam and supply cleaner district heat to the surrounding community.
Meanwhile, the company continues to improve energy efficiency and renewable energy use, a commitment recognised externally by CDP, which awarded Continental an A- rating in 2025 for climate transparency and CO2 reduction measures.