Up to €207 million – Bridgestone investing for higher-value tyres at Burgos plant

Under what it calls a “historic investment,” Bridgestone EMEA will increase production capacity, particularly for 18-inch and larger rim diameters, at its Burgos passenger vehicle tyre manufacturing site in Spain. The company intends to invest up to 207 million euros in a project that aims to “raise tyre manufacturing to the highest level of excellence and sustainability.”

Bridgestone will implement this project by 2030, increasing production of 18-inch and up High Rim Diameter (HRD) tyres by 75 per cent, to more than 7 million tyres annually. This will increase the plant’s overall production capacity by approximately 20 per cent, compared with the current set-up. The investment will also equip the Burgos plant to become one of Bridgestone’s biggest producers of van tyres in Europe.

The technology transformation will focus on three axes: automation for higher productivity; an increase in vulcanisation capacity; and the creation of an automatic high bay warehouse to increase stock capacity for newly manufactured tyres, which will allow greater flexibility in production. By introducing BCMA (Bridgestone Communality Modularity Architecture), the company will also improve agility in its production processes and ensure further simplification for efficiency.

New growth phase

“At Bridgestone, we are moving into a new phase of European and global growth by combining innovation and sustainability at our Burgos facility in Spain,” says Emilio Tiberio, chief technology officer of Bridgestone West. “This multi-million-euro investment is aimed at strengthening our premium tyre business by increasing our productivity, logistics autonomy and tyre offering in the high-value segments. Furthermore, we are proud to contribute significantly to the economic development of Burgos, Castilla y León and Spain by continuing to strengthen our manufacturing and sustainable footprint in a strategic region for us at the European level.”

Greener, higher-value products

By focusing on higher-value HRD production at the Burgos site, Bridgestone is strengthening the plant’s long-term employment outlook. The investment will also make operations “greener and smarter” thanks to a combination of technology, automation, and R&D that will significantly reduce losses and enhance manufacturing processes. Bridgestone estimates that its modernisation of the Burgos plant will save 410 tonnes of CO2 per year compared to current levels. These savings amount to approximately 2,000 tonnes of CO2 by 2030.

These savings will complement the CO2 reductions gained through the more than 20,000 solar panels already installed on the roof of the Burgos plant. These panels, which cover an area equivalent to five football fields, deliver a total output of 9.2 MW – enough to cover between 10 and 14 per cent of the facility’s electrical requirements. On the sunniest days, this renewable energy source covers the factory’s total energy consumption during peak hours.

“In line with the Bridgestone E8 Commitment, this project will fortify the Burgos plant’s capabilities towards 2030 and beyond, ensuring sustainable employment and a strategic evolution towards smart and green manufacturing,” adds Tiberio. “These advancements will also accelerate our goal of carbon neutrality (scopes 1 and 2) by 2050. By boosting production and optimising environmental practices through technology, automation, and R&D, the Burgos plant is geared for the future, setting a new benchmark within Bridgestone’s manufacturing network.”