Enery continues its momentum into the new year: the new Romanian production site of Nokian Tyres – the world’s first zero-CO2 tire factory – will now be supplied with clean energy under a long-term agreement.
After helping to advance renewable energy in Romania in 2024 through projects such as the solar plant in Sărmașag along with the wind farms in Dorobantu and Baia, Enery has entered 2025 presenting another milestone. The company has signed a virtual Power Purchase Agreement (vPPA) with Nokian Tyres plc, whose goal is to build the world’s first zero-CO2 tire factory in Oradea, the capital of Bihor County in Romania.
A Key Strategic Project
Nokian Tyres describes the new European factory as one of its most important strategic projects for the near future. Enery is now more than just a participant in this major industrial investment; it is making a tangible contribution to the achievement of Nokian Tyres’ ambitious goals.
Under the vPPA, nearly 80 GWh of green electricity per year will be supplied from a newly built 50 MW solar park in southern Romania – enough to power more than 47,000 households. The contract has a term of eleven years and provides both access to clean energy and long-term price stability.
“We understand the requirements and needs of our partners”, says Enery-CCO Severin Vartigov.
Long-Term Partnerships
This deal is already Enery’s sixth PPA in Romania and is expected to offset an additional 20,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions. Prior to this agreement, the company had already signed long-term agreements in Romania with partners such as Engie Romania, OMV Petrom, and Orange Romania, helping Enery reach more than ten new PPAs across CEE by the end of the previous year.
According to Enery Chief Commercial Officer Severin Vartigov, that success is no coincidence. The company’s aim, he says, is to tailor each PPA closely to the needs of its partners, which requires significant time and effort to thoroughly understand these requirements and meet them as effectively as possible. Just as importantly, he stresses, Enery believes in building long-term relationships with its counterparties.
Once the factory reaches full capacity in 2027, Nokian Tyres Romania is expected to produce six million tires per year, with room for future expansion. The facility covers 100,000 square meters and represents a total investment of around EUR 650 million. Most of the tires produced there will be sold on the Central European market. Oradea itself is an economically attractive location, functioning as a primary transport hub and business center in Bihor County – often described as the gateway to Transylvania.