Pirelli and Rosneft have signed two Memorandums of Understanding which consolidate and expand their industrial and commercial cooperation. One envisages the opening of new Pirelli points of sale through Rosneft's network of refueling stations, while the other envisages cooperation in the production and supply of synthetic rubber.
The commercial agreement provides for the opening, through the Rosneft network, of numerous Pirelli points of sale in which Pirelli-branded products will be sold. At least 60 points of sale are expected to open between 2014 and 2015. Overall, at least 200 points of sale are expected to be opened by 2019. The two companies will also evaluate the possibility of continuing and extending the "Safe Road with Rosneft and Pirelli" initiative ” which was successfully launched in 2013, as well as the opening of a flagship store which, through a new concept, combines Rosneft's premium service stations with a Pirelli tire service center which also offers tire storage, among other services and corporate fleet management.
On the industrial front, under the terms of the MoU, Pirelli and Rosneft will collaborate in the production in Nakhodka of synthetic rubbers, including the styrene-butadiene rubber ('SBR') that will be produced. Pirelli is also interested in stipulating a long-term supply contract for the purchase of SBR produced there. SBR is an environmentally friendly material used in the production of "green tyres" which optimizes fuel consumption and grip on both wet and dry surfaces. This agreement follows the Memorandum of Understanding signed for similar activities in Armenia in December 2013.
