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Moving on Relocations and expansions
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MOVINGON
Relocations and expansions across Europe
Renault to increase its production capacity in Brazil
Renault will produce an additional 100,000 vehicles a year in its Curitiba plant in 2013, creating 1000 new jobs in the process. The plant’s annual capacity (passenger cars and LCVs) will be increased to more than 380,000 units per year. Capital outlay will total 500 million Brazilian reals, or about €200 million.
This increase in production capacity will provide Renault with the means to achieve its ambitions in Brazil. Renault aims to claim market share of 8 per cent by 2016, compared with more than 5% today.
Carlos Ghosn, president and CEO of Renault stated: “In 2011, Brazil is set to become Renault’s second-largest market. Brazil is one of the cornerstones of our international growth strategy: more than one-quarter of the growth in volume will come from Brazil. If we are to reach this target, then we must increase our manufacturing capacity, and we have chosen our Curitiba plant to achieve this.” Visit: www.renault.com Nearly 200 customers, OEMs, Hungarian dignitaries and Allison workers celebrated the official opening of the Allison Transmission Hungary Manufacturing Facility in Szentgotth·rd, Hungary.
David L. Parish, Allison Transmission Vice President of Operations, said, “For over 10 years we enjoyed sharing a manufacturing facility in Szentgotth·rd with General Motors Opel Hungary. We developed successful production collaborations during that course of business and professional relationships that will last a lifetime. I want to thank GM Opel for their support and assistance in the construction of our new Allison wholly-owned manufacturing plant.”
The Allison 3000, 4000 and Torqmatic® Series fully automatic transmissions produced in Szentgotthárd are widely used in city buses, construction, distribution, pick-up and delivery, fire and emergency, terminal tractor, shuttle, utility, refuse, wheeled military and other applications. Visit: www.allisontransmission.com.
Audi opens CKD packaging station in Wunstorf
AUDI AG has opened its new packaging center in Wunstorf near Hanover in northern Germany. This CKD (Completely Knocked Down) packaging centre – one of the most modern of its kind in Germany – was created within just six months, working together with logistics partner Syncreon. It covers an area of 20,000m2 , which will now be used to prepare Audi models destined for the Chinese and Indian markets for final assembly in the respective country and to package them ready for shipping.
“We can process all CKD vehicle sets destined for China and India quickly and efficiently in Wunstorf,” said Dr Michael Hauf, Head of Audi Brand Logistics, summarising the centre’s advantages. And the distance from the Chinese and Indian markets will no longer be a problem. “For the time being, the new packaging centre provides us with sufficient capacities for the brand’s course of growth in China and India, and for the increasing number of model variants,” emphasised Hauf.
As well as being near the major German ports and the Mittelland Canal, the site in Wunstorf also has good transport links. There are already plans to increase the site area to a total of 40,000m2 in 2012, which will make Wunstorf the group’s largest packaging center. Visit: www.audi.com
The port of Dunkirk is to host France’s largest methane terminal and so position itself in the worldwide race for liquefied natural gas (LNG) procurement. EDF Energy has announced its decision to invest in the Dunkirk methane terminal, together with Fluxys G (a transmission infrastructure company operating on the northwestern European natural-gas market) and Total.
The Dunkirk-methane-terminal investment represents around €700 million by EDF and from €50 to €70 million by the Port Authority of Dunkirk. The methane terminal, the commissioning of which is predicted to occur in late 2015, will boast an annual capacity ranging from 6 to 13 cubic gigametres. This capacity could be extended in a second phase to 12 or even 16 gigametres, representing 10 per cent of current French gas consumption. Visit: www.investinnorthernfrance.com
Tibbett Logistics to open second intermodal logistics terminal in Bucharest
Romania’s largest privately owned contract logistics specialist, Tibbett Logistics – part of the fast-growing UK-based Keswick Enterprises group has further underlined its strong market position by announcing plans to open a second intermodal (road-rail) terminal in the west of Bucharest – the heart of the country’s logistics activity.
The new terminal is located within Europolis Park Bucharest and will handle Tibbett Logistics’ own block trains between the city and the Port of Constanta, as well as trains with swapbodies, containers, semi-trailers and tank containers to and from western European countries. Discussions are also advanced concerning the handling of car transporters.
The new terminal will be developed in phases over the next 12 to 18 months, with expectations that 14 trains a week will be handled by Q2 2012. Visit: www.tibbettlogistics.com
