Rubber company sees opportunities in renewable energy

auto rubber part Hanover, Germany - Contitech, one of Germany's main makers of industrial drive belts and hoses, said

Tuesday at the Hanover Fair in Germany it saw business opportunities in renewable energy. Part of the Continental tyres and

auto components group, which also has its base in Hanover, Contitech described a rubber bellows being tested at a Scottish

power station which generates electricity using the energy of ocean waves. The component, which resists damage from oil and

seawater, would be available in regular manufacture from 2012, said the company, which makes plastics and rubber components

for industrial use. It said it aimed to double its sales over the next five years in China, where its joint-venture

subsidiary Benecke Changshun Auto Trim makes interior plastic surfaces for cars. Contitech scored 58 per cent of its turnover

outside Germany last year. "We are pushing ahead with internationalization to remain profitable," said chief executive

Gerhard Lerch at the April 21-25 fair, the world's premier annual expo of industrial equipment and automation gear.

Contitech, with 3 billion euros (4.75 billion dollars) in annual sales, is seeking sales outside the automotive industry

because carmakers have been aggressively forcing down prices and profits at their suppliers.