Sustainability Channel

Road safety: a European priority

Francesco Gori, managing director of Pirelli Tyre and director general of Tyre and Parts, spoke as president of the ETRMA (European Tyre and Rubber Manufacturers’ Association) at the international conference on road safety, which took place on Wednesday 2 December at the European Commission in Brussels.

Inaugurated by vice-president Antonio Tajani, the European Transport Commissioner, the conference presented the guidelines of its new action plan for road safety for the period 2011-2020 and sought the commitment of everyone – institutions, experts, companies, citizens – in pursuit of the objective of a reduction in the number of victims of road accidents.

Francesco Gori, special testimonial at the session on the safety of vehicles and the infrastructure, presented the priorities of the ETRMA, placing an accent on the fundamental role of the tyre, the only point of contact between the vehicle and the road. Checking tyre pressures, the use of winter tyres and of homologated tyres were among the crucial components for travelling in safety.

To know more:

http://ec.europa.eu//road safety/ 

http://www.erscharter.eu/

The Pirelli Russia project grows with Rome’s agreement

The acquisition of an already existing factory in addition to building a new industrial plant
Today, Pirelli and Russian Techonologies signed in Rome a new agreement for the production of tyres and steelcord in Russia.

In addition to the plan already announced by the Parties to build a new industrial plant in the Russian region of Samara in the second half of 2010, the new agreement foresees the acquisition of an already existing factory, which is currently being identified among some potentially interesting Russian enterprises. It is foreseen that the acquisition will take place in 2010.

The agreement was signed today in Rome in the presence of Russian President Dmitry Medvedev and Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, by the Director General of Russian Technologies Sergey Chemezov and the Chairman of the Pirelli Group Marco Tronchetti Provera.

 The new industrial hub will be established on the territory of Togliatti industrial technology park (Samara region).

 The hub establishment will begin as soon as the Russian authorities make the decision on the area for production of automotive components, which is expected in the second half of 2010. The new factory will be built in two phases. In the first phase a factory for radial tyres for industrial vehicles will be built. The second phase foresees a factory to manufacture steelcord. At full capacity, the industrial hub will employ about 1500 workers.

 In the five-year period, the new factories together with the expected acquisition will guarantee manufacturing capacity of more than 4 million pieces, as foreseen by the initial plans. Total resources to be committed by the joint venture, in line with what has already been announced, will amount to about 300 million euros. 
Download the Press Release (PDF Version)

Protagonists On The Renewable Energy Scene

Pirelli Ambiente and Global Cleantech Capital (GCC) reached an agreement for acquisition by Pirelli Ambiente of the 50% stake owned by GCC in Solar Utility. Solar Utility was founded in 2007 as a 50/50 joint venture between Pirelli Ambiente and GCC, a private equity fund specialized in clean energy investments, in order to make joint investments in the photovoltaic sector. The transaction, worth approximately 8 million Euro, will increase Pirelli Ambiente’s stake to 100% of the company.
The purchase of the 50% stake not previously held by Pirelli Ambiente will allow it to pursue new growth Opportunities for Solar Utility, including through industrial partnerships like the one recently begun with Norwegian national energy utility Statkraft, as the first step to creating an important player in the renewable energy industry in Italy.

Press release Pirelli – Solar Utility 13.11.2009