Continental has stopped using coal and heavy fuel oil across all 19 of its tire production facilities as of January 2026. According to https://www.automotiveworld.com/news/continental-ends-coal-use-at-tire-plants-globally/, the move completes a multi-year effort to shift plant energy systems away from the dirtiest fossil fuels.
The company switched these sites to a mix of alternative energy sources, including biomass, biogas, liquefied petroleum gas, natural gas, and renewable electricity. Seven of the 19 production facilities previously burned coal or heavy fuel oil to generate process steam, a major energy demand in tire manufacturing.
Continental carried out the change through steady investments in electrification and targeted alterations to heat generation systems at its plants worldwide. In one example, a facility moved primary steam production to biomass while using LPG to cover remaining energy needs. At the Kalutara plant in Sri Lanka, the company commissioned a second biomass boiler to replace fossil fuel use.
“This shift represents a commitment to renewable energies and enhances manufacturing independence and resilience,” said Dr. Bernhard Trilken, head of manufacturing and logistics at Continental.
The company reports that the conversion has significantly lowered production-related CO₂ emissions. Henning Mühlenstedt, head of future technologies and sustainable infrastructure, added that a smart mix of increasingly renewable energy sources, ideally generated on-site, strengthens operational sustainability.
The milestone fits into Continental’s wider global sustainability strategy and signals how the tire industry can cut its environmental footprint by cleaning up factory energy systems. The changes aim to make tire production cleaner and more resilient while keeping manufacturing performance steady.
