Friday, 17 May 2019 10:23

Tyres turning green

Written by  Mark Daniel

It's not only the rural sector coming under pressure to clean up its environmental footprint.

Also busy at it is the tyre manufacturer Trelleborg, working on its factories to meet the challenges of climate change.

For example, it is completely re-engineering its Sri Lanka factory’s steam raising plant by installing an advanced biomass boiler.  Steam is essential in tyre curing, but the traditional oil-fired boiler burns 3.5 million litres of oil annually and emits 11,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalents.

Trelleborg’s biomass-fired boiler will cut the plant’s CO2 emission to 1000t of CO2 . It will be commissioned next month.

The plant near Colombo employs 850 people and makes solid tyres for the materials handling and port industries, and pneumatic tyres for light farming applications. 

Biomass for the boiler will be supplied by local producers, so shortening the supply line, further reducing the carbon footprint and supporting the local economy. 

The work is an aspect of Trelleborg’s Blue Dimension approach to sustainability, combining environmental benefits with benefits for the customers such as higher efficiency and productivity. 

More like this

Can't be green, if you're in the red

Don’t expect farmers to spend money on riparian planting and fencing if their businesses are running in deficit, says Waikato Federated Farmers president Keith Holmes.

Say nothing!

OPINION: Normally farmer good organisations are happy to use the media to get their message across to politicians and the consumers.

Clarity needed

OPINION: This month, the government announced a pause to the rollout of the national farm plan system.

H is the 1!

OPINION: Good on Miraka for eschewing electric power for its future tankers, opting for the much more practical heavy-vehicle ‘green’ choice, hydrogen, putting NZ’s first H-powered tanker on the road.

Featured

Massey Research Field Day attracts huge interest

More than 200 people turned out on Thursday, November 21 to see what progress has been made on one of NZ's biggest and most comprehensive agriculture research programmes on regenerative agriculture.

Expo set to wow again

Stellar speakers, top-notch trade sites, innovation, technology and connections are all on offer at the 2025 East Coast Farming Expo being once again hosted in Wairoa in February.

A year of global challenges

As a guest of the Italian Trade Association, Rural News Group Machinery Editor Mark Daniel took the opportunity to make an early November dash to Bologna to the 46th EIMA exhibition.

Boost for hort exports

The horticulture sector is a big winner from recent free trade deals sealed with the Gulf states, says Associate Agriculture Minister Nicola Grigg.

National

OSPRI's costly software upgrade

Animal disease management agency OSPRI has announced sweeping governance changes as it seeks to recover from the expensive failure of…

Machinery & Products

BA Pumps expand

Cambridge based BA Pumps & Sprayers, specialists in New Zealand-made spraying equipment, has acquired Tokoroa Engineering’s product range, including the…

Entries open for innovation award

Fieldays and its renowned Innovation Awards are celebrating their 57th year, marking a longstanding tradition in the agricultural calendar, with…

» Latest Print Issues Online

Milking It

Chinese strategy

OPINION: Fonterra may have sold its dairy farms in China but the appetite for collaboration with the country remains strong.

Not fair

OPINION: The Listener's latest piece on winter grazing among Southland dairy farmers leaves much to be desired.

» Connect with Dairy News

» eNewsletter

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter