The Asociación Española de Neumáticos Reciclados (AER) has described the upcoming visit of Spain’s Ministry of Industry and Tourism to a tyre retreading facility as an important moment for the sector, highlighting growing institutional interest in an industry closely linked to circular economy practices, road safety and resource efficiency.
First Visit in 30 Years
Officials from the Subdirectorate General for Industrial Quality and Safety will visit the INSA TURBO plant in Aspe (Alicante). According to AER, it will be the first time in the association’s 30-year history that representatives from the ministry responsible for vehicle regulation and homologation have conducted a full technical visit to a tyre retreading and recycling facility.
The delegation will be led by José Manuel Prieto Barrio, Subdirector General for Industrial Quality and Safety, accompanied by Lucas Galera and Martín Arias, heads of service within the department. During the visit, ministry representatives will gain first-hand insight into the industrial processes involved in tyre retreading, recycling and material recovery from end-of-life tyres, including traceability, quality control, operational safety and sustainability practices.
Founded in 1988 and part of Grupo Soledad, INSA TURBO has been a member of AER since the association was established and reports a daily production capacity of around 3,000 retreaded tyres. The Aspe facility is also one of the few in Europe capable of producing retreaded tyres across a broad range of segments, including passenger vehicles, 4×4, trucks, light commercial vehicles, industrial equipment and agricultural machinery.
A key focus of the visit will be the retreading of truck tyres, and ministry representatives will review the different stages of the process, from casing selection and inspection through to final quality checks.
Adrián Fernández Monge, secretary general of AER, said: “On behalf of our members, we would like to thank the Ministry for its interest and willingness to visit an industrial facility, understand real production processes and strengthen technical dialogue on regulation, quality and homologation.”
Salvador Pérez Lucena, president of AER, added: “The circular tyre sector needs more direct knowledge, less distance and more technical dialogue. Having the Ministry visit a plant, see the processes and understand the work involved in both tyre retreading and recycling is excellent news for the industry and for the circular economy in Spain.”
Image source: Asociación Española de Neumáticos Reciclados (AER) LinkedIn
